Transformers Titan: Devastation
by kira444
Summary: Volume 3 of Transformers Titan. Terra enters a new age as humanity now knows about the cybertronians and their war for supremacy. As the Autobots and Decepticons adjust to the inclusion of humans into their war, the two factions must also deal with being dragged into humanity's own civil conflict.
1. The Day Terra Stood Still part 1

Transformers Titan

Devastation

Chapter 1-The Day Terra Stood Still part 1

_On March 21, 2008, President James Flagg gave a press conference pertaining to the mysterious events surrounding the appearance of giant robots in Fallon and Dallas._

"_My fellow Republicans," The president noted calmly as he addressed the press on the patio of the White House. "I come before you today to explain the recent events in Fallon, Dallas, Texas and Dakote; on September 24, at 2:34 PM, unusual radio activity was found in the state of Dakote. This activity was caused by the activation of a distress beacon within an extraterrestrial escape craft, dormant on Terra for approximately five million years. This signal attracted the attention of two other extraterrestrial groups who were also hiding on our planet until a year ago. Since February 18 of this year, sightings of the warring extraterrestrials have been connected to recent sightings in Yuktobania, Fallon and Tampa. Since later that month, I and other select members of the Osean government and military have been in contact with one of these groups and they contributed to our defense against their malevolent counterparts, and managed to defeat them with minimal losses. It is at their recommendation that we now reveal the truth, and they reveal themselves to us."_

_The gathered members of the White House press corps turned in surprise as a large red and blue flat nose Peterbilt truck drove up next to the podium and suddenly broke apart and reshaped itself into a taller form. Parts reorganized to form arms, legs and finally a head. As cameras flashed, the robot spoke in a deep, resonating tone._

"_People of Terra, I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots," Optimus Prime said to the world. "And I come in peace."_

_And so Terra was changed forever._

XXXXXX

It was a bright, sunny Friday morning in the town of Tranquility. The people of Tranquility went about their lives, enjoying everything life had to offer, not entirely free of worries, but just happy to have a wonderful day ahead of them. Even though it was almost the end of summer, the weather was still pleasantly warm and moderately hot. The perfect weather to go outside and have a nice day out, and the people knew they had to enjoy what the world had to offer, even though there was an otherworldly battle going on elsewhere on the planet.

The Radcliffe household was quiet for once, a welcome change for the family of three living there considering just how hectic their lives were in general after meeting their alien friends. Sitting in the dining room was Debbie Radcliffe, the eldest of the Radcliffe siblings, who were already taking advantage of the last days of their summer vacation by spending it lounging around the house doing what kids do-nothing.

It was nice not having to worry about some Decepticon attack or human terrorists kidnapping her brother or sister just for hanging out with the Autobots. She did her best to at least try to have some semblance of a normal life, and she thought she was doing quite well in that regard. At the moment, Debbie was sitting at the table reading the morning paper and drinking some orange juice (she avoided coffee like the plague unless she was really desperate for a power up). Just being able to do something as simple as this was a luxury she rarely had.

"What's this?" She muttered as she came across a particular article.

It was yet another news article about the Autobots. Ever since that fateful day, the media just couldn't get enough of them, jumping at any chance they could to snag a scoop on the Autobots. Debbie couldn't fault them for it, the Autobots were nowhere near what humanity thought alien life would be like.

"…_in the six months since the ratification of the Cybercord Treaty with the Osean Republic, the Autobots have certainly made an impression on the people of Terra." _The article read. _"Working closely with the member nations of the treaty despite their alliance with Osea, the Autobots have, so far, stayed true to their promise to protect our world from their more hostile counterparts, the Decepticons. Following recent excursions in Xing, Egyptia and most recently Sapin, the Autobots have certainly proved their metal, so to speak." _

Her brow furrowed as she continued reading silently. _"However, public opinion on the Autobots remains painfully split. Though many look upon the Autobots as heroes, there are some who see them as "conquerors in disguise". The anti-esper group, The Human Front, are openly hostile towards the so-called alien menace. Even with growing public support, the Autobots-who work closely with government officials-are regarded with open suspicion by many figures within the military and government, most notably Senator Aisha Cordell, who has long argued passionately for stricter regulations on espers living on Osean soil. Still, regardless of opinion, most people will agree on one thing about the Autobots, they have their work cut out for them." _

"I'll say." Debbie sighed.

The revealing of the cybertronians on Terra had a polarizing effect on the world. Many people, still in shock that aliens had been hiding right under their noses the whole time, didn't know what to think. Reactions varied, some welcomed the Autobots, some condemned them, others thought it was a hoax, and many criticized them for waging war on their planet. A sentiment Debbie secretly held, granted the Cons were on Terra before the Autobots in advance. And the Cons weren't exactly known for caring about what organics thought about them.

Speaking of the Decepticons, they've been quiet for the past few months. There were a few skirmishes over energon and two more stasis panels near two cities in Xing (earning the ire of the Xingese government for both sides), but lately they had become increasingly scarce. According to Sparkplug, since secret infiltration was their modus operandi, then they would try to keep that up as long as possible before switching to a more wasteful method of operating out in the open. Until there was another sighting, the Autobots would do their best to provide a positive face to the human race at large. No matter how things went with the Decepticons, there would be no returning to normal for humanity. For better or worse, they were now part of a much larger universe.

"Morning sis!"

Debbie smiled as Darren and Annie walked into the kitchen, dressed and ready to spend their vacation with their friends.

"Good morning, Darren, Annie. I see you two are excited for today." Debbie said.

"We are. We still have a couple more weeks of summer left before we head off to prison, so we're going to make the most of it!" Annie said, plopping her keister into a chair and quickly digging into her waffles with gutso. "I'm going to head out with Bulkhead and Wheeljack to see the giant koi fish in Weijing."

"Gina and I are going to check out Civ-Alpha with Penny and Kevin." Darren said.

"I take it this is Gina's version of a double-date?" Debbie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it's romantic in a sense, so yeah." Darren blushed.

"No surprise there. Exploring dusty old ruins that double as ancient death traps is always Gina's idea of a hot date." Annie joked.

Debbie smiled at seeing her brother and sister joke around and laugh. They were the only family she had left after their grandfather passed away. But her smile dimmed a bit when she focused on some of their…extra features.

Annie's new appearance was the most obvious-her right arm, severed at the shoulder in a near-fatal altercation against a trio of Insecticon alphas was now replaced with a smooth black mechanical arm, courtesy of the combined efforts of Ratchet and Wheeljack. It took Annie two and a half months to probably how to use her new appendage and had to wear a long, black glove to cover it when going outside. As for her missing eye, which she lost in the same battle, she wore a black eyepatch over it. She wasn't too comfortable with people, man or Bot, poking around in her eye socket.

Darren looked mostly the same, physically at least, with small silver circles visible along his exposed arms. They were remnants of his headmaster implants from that terrible situation the Autobots are calling the Headmaster War. The mental bond between Darren and Sunstreaker was severed by Ratchet, but the implants still remain, as the doctor couldn't risk messing with technology he didn't understand. Mentally, however, Darren still carried scars of those times. He would have night terrors of memories belonging to Sunstreaker…even the Autobot's dismemberment at OZ's hands and the horrible experiments done to him. Debbie could never forget hearing Darren's terrified screams in the middle of the night, wailing and crying like a child afraid of monsters. That would haunt her for the rest of her days.

Darren, Annie and Gina had gone through so much since meeting the Minicons inside that cave. They experienced things no child should ever have seen and done things that would forever impact their lives…all because of this alien war. A war that shouldn't be involved in. but at this point, it was pointless to worry about that now, as the damage was already done. They weren't children anymore. They were, in Annie's words, warriors.

'Soldiers,' Debbie thought. 'Just like dad.'

"Debbie, something wrong?" Darren asked. Debbie forced a smile onto her face.

"Nothing's wrong, Darren." She said. "Everything's fine."

XXXXXX

No matter how many times he walked through its halls, Armorhide (Energon Ironhide) still could not believe he was actually inside the Ark. A ship he only saw from a distance if he was lucky enough to get guard duty in the Hall of Records or in holo-vids. He spent much of his early career, and life, doing security detail in the Decagon, and later in the Kimia Facility. He had dreamed of serving aboard the Ark, but his low rank kept him back. However, that all changed today!

Armorhide was a strong, stocky Autobot with red and blue armor who had an armored jeep for an alt mode. He was around Bumblebee's age, forged along with the scout and a dozen others from the last recorded hot spot before Vector Sigma stopped producing Sparks. They were technically the same rank, so it stung that Bumblebee got the lucky draw and was able to get a taste of the action alongside Optimus Prime. He told himself it was only because the little scout had more field experience (which was true) and not because Bumblebee was good friends with most of High Command, even Optimus himself, but who was he kidding?

But it seemed that Primus was smiling down upon him when the call was made for some more reinforcements on a planet called Terra by Prime himself. Armorhide was one of the first to volunteer, his expertise in engineering earning him a place alongside trigger-happy brutes like Cliffjumper, Mirage and Sideswipe. He needed to remember to send Firestar a thank-you card.

He was sick of slumming it out on Kimia counting stars to avoid getting caught up in Brainstorm's crazy shenanigans. He joined the Autobots to make a difference and prove himself as a soldier, like Jazz and, Primus forbid, Rodimus. This was his chance to learn from the pros and get a taste of real combat.

This would be his first deployment to an alien world-a world already exposed to the conflict going on in their atmosphere. It was amazing and confusing seeing so many organics, so many cultures and nations living together. How could the all live on such a tiny world?

A day after he arrived on Terra, Armorhide was personally debriefed by Optimus Prime himself (Armorhide patted himself on the back for not squealing in Prime's presence) on Terran culture and its people.

"They are a young species, full of potential but prone to great violence." Optimus said. "They fear what they do not understand, s we must tread lightly so we do not provoke confrontation with them."

"They…sound like animals." Armorhide frowned. "They fight each other over petty reasons, squandering their resources, and discriminate each other for practically no reason at all. Forgive me, sir, but these humans…they're violent and barbaric."

"Were we any different?" Optimus replied. Armorhide had no reply for that. "Yes, humans are fickle creatures, it is within their nature. They do not understand how to use their resources wisely, and for the benefit of all. We can teach them, but we must progress slowly. They are overly sensitive and have a tendency to take offense at any perceived slightly, no matter how well meaning the commentary. Some of them are wary of us, some are suspicious, and others are openly fearful."

"Fearful? After you all risked your Sparks to defend them and their world?" Armorhide growled.

Optimus placed a calming hand on the cadet's shoulder. "I told you they are overly sensitive. This tendency sometimes borders on paranoid. Interestingly, the reverse is also true, as the youngest of the species are less afraid of us. My team and I have seen this personally with the children I told you about. They have went above and beyond for us, and have saved our lives numerous times, myself included."

"Really?" He blinked. "But…they're so small."

"Do underestimate the organics of this or any world. They have achieved much in decades and their ability to adapt quickly to situations has helped them survive…evolve. This has proven to be a formidable trait when used against us."

Armorhide was trying to understand, he really was, but it was hard to see a species as small as a Minicon but physically weaker than them could be threatening. If they had advanced technology, then yes, he could understand, but they were rather primitive-just a few steps under the Nebulans in that regard. Then again…they were the same species that captured and tortured poor Sunstreaker. The mech was a mess, even though he looked normal on the outside. He was like a ticking time bomb just waiting to happen.

"Why are they even involved?" Armorhide asked. "I thought protocol dictated that we avoid contact with aliens. This is not their war."

"But this is their world, and by aiding us against the Decepticons, humanity has become their enemy by default. As it is, things haven't been going in a straight line since we landed on this world." Optimus said. "Considering how many people already despite our kind, I am glad to have at least one plant that doesn't completely hate us."

When the war left a dying Cybertron and spread to the outer reaches of space, thousands of worlds were dragged into the conflict. Hundreds of planets were conquered and destroyed by Decepticon infiltration teams destabilizing the natives of those worlds, while open fighting between them and the Autobots left some planets as inhospitable wastelands. Others were, to Optimus' great guilt, ceded to Decepticon control in order to obtain some fleeting advantage in another part of the galaxy. Thousands of races, many of them either space-faring or pre-industrial, were annihilated by the overall fighting. The Galactic Coalition, a united government of worlds formed in response to the Quintesson invasions, had black listed the cybertronian race, wiping their hands clean of any relation to them, save for a few individuals like Ultra Magnus, Xaaron and Tyrest. Even now there were still frequent skirmishes between neutral colonies and GC space vessels "accidentally" firing on them unprovoked. Only a small number of worlds had really accepted Autobot assistance and protection against the Decepticons, and even those races rarely wanted to get too involved in the war unless it was for retribution. Aliens were barred from taking part in their war as per the rules dictated in the Code of Interplanetary Conflict.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Armorhide's question brought Prime out of his reverie and he nodded. "Yes, Armorhide, sorry. I got lost in my thoughts." He turned to the young mech and patted his shoulder. "Go and get to know more about your new team. When you get the chance, be sure to introduce yourself to the children as well. New faces are always welcome aboard the Ark."

Armorhide smiled. "I will, sir! Thank you very much! You can count on me!"

This was a brand new chapter in Armorhide's life and he planned on making the most of it.

XXXXXX

"_...it's been announced that the join human/Autobot solar project in Mexica is moving forward despite opposition from not only political circles but also assorted religious groups. Several evangelical ministries in the Magisterium protested the presence of the cybertronians, claiming that they are an "affront towards Gaia" and an "attack on religion-"_

Grindor changed the channel and tossed the remote away with a snort. "Affront towards Gaia my ass!"

Gina gave the Minicon a sympathetic smile. "It'll take some time to get used to you, Grindor. You need to be patient."

"Awfully hard to be patient when you see something so predictable." Grindor flopped onto her bed. "There are hundreds of worlds with their own religions and Terra is no different from any of them. Too many people caught up in too many religious beliefs."

"You think religion is a bad thing: Annie asked, playing around with her prosthetic arm's rotation.

"No, blind faith and devotion is. Wars fought over belief systems, gods used as excuses to commit atrocities, people needlessly persecuted for not following the majority, and now these yahoos trying to press their religion onto us because we apparently worship the wrong god." Grindor ranted. "Prime should've never mentioned Primus in the first place."

"You sound very strongly about this, Grindor." Sureshock observed.

"I had some friends who got caught up in separate religious cults back on Cybertron. They split apart because of differences in how they thought our race was born. One thought we naturally evolved from machines and the other believed that our world and race were created by Primus. It got to the point where violence was involved and they never talked to each other, or me, ever again."

"Where are they now?" High Wire asked softly. He rarely got to here Grindor speak about his old life.

"One joined the Autobots and is either dead or lights years away from here. The other…" Grindor shrugged. "No idea. Never heard from him again."

Annie patted his hand and Grindor gave her an unseen smile. Though it still stung a bit to talk about his old friends, that was all in the past now. He had new friends and that was all he needed.

"While we're on the subject, have you see all these groups who believe the cybertronians to be saviors of humanity? I can't help but think they're starting to be as bad as the originals." As if to support her statement, Gina pulled out a slightly crumpled brochure that one of the cybertronian-worshipping group members had shoved into her hand on the street. The cover's image was juxtaposed the Autobot and Minicon symbols next to each other.

"Join the Followers?" Sureshock read. "Who are they?"

"They're this cybertronian info group that popped up almost three months ago, though I think it might've started farther back. They might've sprouted up because Wheeljack was answering questions related to cybertronian culture and society online. These guys are pretty much made up of people ranging from divine-worshipping fanaticals to scientists and fans." Darren explained.

"Yeah, I heard about those yahoos. I think some of them go to our school." Annie said.

"They allow teachers and children into the Followers?" High Wire blinked.

"So long as you're not preaching "kill the aliens" or "destroy all espers", you're welcome to join." Darren shrugged. "Honestly, I think they're just a bunch of glorified groupies with an obsession for the Autobots."

"Amen to that, brother." Annie quipped. Her phone rang and she checked it to see that her friend had texted her. "Looks like it's time for me to go."

"Where are you heading off to in such a hurry?" Sureshock asked.

"To see her girlfriend, Brittany." Darren grinned.

"Shut it." Annie blushed.

"Brittany?" Gina raised a brow at her best friend. "As in the girl who just moved in a month ago?"

"The very same girl. Annie's absolutely smitten with her and they're almost always together. They even go shopping at the mall together!" Darren laughed. "Run along sis, we don't want you to be late for your date."

"It's not a date and she's not my girlfriend, you ass!" Annie growled, her cheeks rosy red as she stomped out of the room. "Come on, Grindor!"

The others watched them go with big smiles and the minute the door slammed shut everyone started laughing.

"She's totally smitten!" Gina giggled.

"I know. They even have an online chat in evening. You should see her, Gina. She looks like a love-struck teenager." Darren said.

"I think it's sweet." Sureshock said. "Annie deserves someone to love like you two. It might give her something positive to do now that we all have some free time on our hands."

"Yeah…" Gina and Darren didn't look as pleased about that as they should've been.

The past six months had been peaceful for the children, which was a blessing after what they went through, but following the announcement Optimus made to the world, their activities with the Autobots had been greatly limited. Prime thought it best that the children remain out of the picture for the time being until everything calmed down. Only a few government officials, the president and Colonel Barnett included, knew about their involvement with the Autobots, but no one knew about their talos. The last thing anyone wanted was for the military to learn of the three super advanced mecha the Autobots were harboring.

Sadly, this left the children sitting on the sidelines most of the time, with no Minicons to be found or need to assist their friends, this left the kids trying to adjust to a somewhat normal life again. Which was harder than they thought.

"You know, for all the stuff I say about not wanting to put everyone in danger, not being able to help the Bots makes me…restless. I'm so used to piloting Prometheus I can't sit still anymore." Darren sighed. "As it is I can barely sleep properly after all the excitement,"

"That's an unfortunate side effect of fighting in a war. You fight for so long, it's hard to get used to the quiet life you had before it all went down. Returning to normalcy becomes next to impossible." High Wire said.

"Well, it's that or risk our talos being seen with the Autobots and causing a scandal. I'm so sick of that pompous asshole Senator Cordell talk smack about the Autobots." Gina huffed. "It's bad enough she's trying to practically dump espers in internment camps, but she's practically funding the ERD to murder espers."

"We can't change everything by shooting at it. The world will still keep spinning whether we fight or not." Darren sighed.

"Just enjoy the end of your vacation, you two. This could be the last time we get some peace for a while." Sureshock told them.

'That's the thing. I can't even fully enjoy it.' Darren thought, resting his chin on his knees. 'My mind wants to rest, but my body wants to keep fighting. I don't think I'll ever be fully normal after that nightmare with OZ. I just hope that's the only thing wrong with me.'

XXXXXX

The plains of Anea was a land where man had no place in its ecosystem. It was dominated by all kinds of beasts, predators and prey. Animals with sharp claws, vicious horns, astounding strength and speed, they called this place home, and it was no place for the likes of man…but nonhumans were definitely the exception. For even though the Savanna was home to all kinds of savage predators like lions and crocodiles, the most dangerous predator was the metal monster that came from the stars.

A gunmetal gray tank rolled through the vast grasslands of what is called the Arcadian Steppe, its large treads kicking up dust in its wake. It plowed through the plains like a literal force of nature, rumbling about like a hungry predator on the prowl as sunlight gleaned off its armor.

When the tank encountered a group of lions prowling in its wake, it swung its long black cannon around and fired a purple beam that completely vaporized the pride leader. The other lions scattered from the devastating attack, but the tank pursued, blasting them apart one by one. It showed no mercy to the hunters, not even sparing the adolescent males.

This carnage was the first thing the Decepticon Lieutenant Nightshade witnessed as she descended upon the plains. The ground was littered with the smoking carcasses of the lion pride and show her narrow, bird-like head. Megatron must really not be in the mood if he was playing shooting gallery in Anea's wilderness.

"Megatron!" She called out to him. She dived toward the ground, fluidly shifting form to her darkly beautiful bipedal mode before her feet even touched the ground.

The tank rolled to a stop, its fusion cannon still smoking. Then it began to change. His metamorphosis was almost painfully slow, and just watching him looked painful. It was like watching an Olympic sprinter wracked with arthritis trying to navigate a flight of stairs. In fact, it took a full minute for the mass of twisting metal to assume the dreaded form of Megatron, and even than he was almost unrecognizable.

He looked rather haggard, like he hadn't slept in months, and he swayed bit on his feet like a tree in the wind. Nightshade gaped at him as he actually almost tripped over a rock when he took a step toward her.

"Megatron, are you…are you drunk?" She asked in pure disbelief.

"No, of course not." Megatron chuckled and took a swig from a silver flask he swiped from his subspace compartment.

Nightshade snatched the flask from him and sniffed it. Her olfactory sensors alerted her to nucleon grade energon mixed with a foreign substance.

"What the hell are you drinking?"

"I am, what of it?" Megatron said with an uncaring wave. "You think a little alcohol can dull my senses? I am Megatron! No creature alive can best me, not even the accursed animals of this damned planet!"

To emphasize his power, Megatron fired his fusion into the distant and blew off the head of an elephant grazing without a care. Nightshade shook her head at his attitude.

'Though I can't really blame him with how things are going for us.' She thought.

With the entire world now aware of their existence, the Decepticons found their jobs harder than ever. They had to be even more careful with how they conduct their operations, using their facsimile agents to leave blind spots in various territories so they could operate without interference. There were active satellites searching for energon signals, which was made obsolete thanks to Shockblast's efforts in orbit, but the fact that the nations of Terra were now on high alert for any and all Decepticon activity made it all the more frustrating.

Just last month, Dreadwing led a team to a province in Xing, where they were ambushed by the Xingese military who had discovered energon in the area and used it to lure them there. Of course they got away, but Dreadwing took a kinetic shell to his eye and Starscream was almost blown out of the sky by a fighter squadron. Similarly, Demolishor's team encountered fierce resistance from Yuktobanian military forces at an oil refinery they were raiding. Terra was no longer blind to their actions and it made dealing with the humans more precarious than ever.

"Come on. Let's head back to the island and see if anything's new." Nightshade suggested. Megatron gave her a look before nodding and tossing his flask away. Wouldn't do to drink on the job in front of the troops after all.

Taking a ground bridge back to Decepticon Island, Megatron and Nightshade headed to Soundwave's quarters, which consisted of nothing but a recharge slab and a wall of television monitors. A cable was attached to the back of his head leading from the main console, connecting him to the monitors where he could change the channels with a single thought. This was Soundwave's way of learning about the world and any new developments to further explore.

"He's been at it for almost two hours." Ravage said at his place near Soundwave's feat. "I think he forget to take an energon break too, so he's probably running on fumes."

"Knockout tried to watch TV in here, but we chased him off." Buzzsaw said.

"Filthy ingrate tried to watch a car show. Ha!" Laserbeak laughed. "Blood sports, the lot of them."

Megatron paid them no mind as he focused on a news broadcast in the center screen. It showed Optimus, Jazz and Armorhide at some public event. Soundwave noticed this and turned up the volume.

"_At the request of Emperor Jingu II of Nippon, Optimus Prime and his Autobots have agreed to attend a public event in Nippon's capital city, Edo, for the Nipponese public. It has been confirmed that they will also be staying for the annual Hanabi fireworks festival later that night…"_

A grin slowly spread across Megatron's face as he got an idea. "Nightshade, put any plans I have on hold. I'm taking a little trip to the Far East."

XXXXXX

The streets of Edo were always backed from building to building with people. Day and night its streets were alive with people, while the buildings were luminous 24/7 without rest. The land of the rising sun's capital was always alive, earning this ancient city its nickname "the second city that never sleeps." But tonight, it was crowded with twice as many people from all over the district who wanted a live glimpse at the Autobot leader.

Being in the heart of all this social chaos reminded Optimus of Tarn. Aside from the lack of smog and crisscrossing cat walks and bridges between buildings, Edo had that same suffocating feeling that made Tarn so unbearable. He wasn't comfortable being the center of attention like this (ironic for a military commander who was the basis of a medical condition in those who idolized him), but he knew it was necessary to help the Autobots improve their relationship with humanity. The people of Nippon especially seemed to have a soft spot for them. Perhaps this spawned from their pop culture depicting giant robots Gina often watches at home.

At the quest of Barnett, their government liaison, Optimus, Jazz and Armorhide went to Edo as part of a public relations act by the Alien Relations Agency (ARA). Once the Autobots traded greetings with the Nipponese emperor and his imperial officers, Jazz and Armorhide put on a simple dog and pony show. A "Q and A" with the press, with a variety of questions ranging from cybertronian culture, history, a bit about themselves and the ever controversial topic about gender among an asexual race of robots. Jazz, who was doing most of the talking, answered that question as eloquently as he could without confusing or angering his audience. The people ate it up like kids at a birthday party.

Armorhide was a bit camera shy for much of the event. He had no experience in dealing with aliens, especially ones that treated him with such awe and praise. Jazz, however, was having the time of his life. He spent much of the event talking with various Anean celebrities, the highlight of his night being meeting his idol, Lucy Chan.

Optimus spent sometime in the limelight too, as was required, but he felt largely uncomfortable in the spotlight of fame, notoriety and symbolism-a living metallic symbol of all that is good and just in a largely violent, unforgiving universe. Public support was crucial to the Autobots' continued operations on Terra, and he knew as a Prime it was his duty to represent his people. But…he never did public events very well.

"Yu look like you're having fun." Jazz remarked as he went to stand next to his friend.

"You could say that." Optimus said.

Jazz shook his head. "You need to relax, boss bot. You aren't going get brownie points for imitating Ultra Magnus."

"I'm…trying, Jazz, really. But something has been plaguing my mind lately." He lightly touched his chest plate and Jazz knew that it wasn't just party jitters that kept Optimus from loosening up. "The Matrix has been acting up for a while now, and that means something is coming."

"I really hope it isn't what I think it is." Jazz grumbled.

"I do too." Optimus replied.

As if to prove their worries right, an explosion rang down the street, putting the festivities on hold.

The first floor of a parking lot was completely engulfed in flames, followed by another explosion that caused the next two floors to cave in. A shower of raining glass and stone fell onto a street, killing anyone unfortunate enough to be near the area. Optimus rushed forward, not even needing to give the order to evacuate the humans as Jazz and Armorhide got to work.

Then he saw him.

Megatron, in tank mode, rolled out of the burning rubble, crushing a car underneath his durable treads. He swerved his fusion canon at a building and fired a blast straight into a café, killing dozens in seconds. Then he turned to Optimus.

"Prime!" He bellowed, his voice roaring over the screams of terrified humans running for their lives.

'What is he doing here?' Optimus thought as he ran at Megatron. How could he have gotten into the city without anyone noticing? There were satellites designed to detect energon signals!

Seeing Optimus approach him, Megatron transformed to his bipedal form, standing tall amongst the carnage and gave his nemesis a mocking grin.

"What are you doing, Megatron?" Optimus demanded, displaying a rare amount

"So glad you still remember me, Optimus/ I thought all the bright lights, cameras and dumbfounded savages had blinded you to you real purpose!" Megatron grinned, ignoring the question.

"And what is that?"

"To die by my hand in this war!"

Megatron charged forward to punch Optimus, but the Prime smacked his fist aside and slammed his own fist into Megatron's face. The Decepticon leader stumbled back, but threw a kick to Prime's leg to stagger him before punching him in the chest. Optimus staggered back, stumbling on a (thankfully) empty truck underfoot. The two titans brawled in the middle of Ginza, their clashing blows booming like thunder.

Jazz and Armorhide were helping navigate the civilians away from the dueling leaders. Jazz, much closer to the disaster zone, was helping the humans who were injured or trapped under the rubble. Armorhide was making sure no stray laser blasts hit the fleeing crowed. But he was only half focused on his task and half focused on the battle. Should he go and help Optimus? Surely, two mechs taking on Megatron would end the battle quicker.

"Don't even think about it." Jazz said, helping two schoolgirls out of an overturned bus. "Boss bot has this under control."

"But Optimus-"

"Has fought Megatron many times before, with far less people than us two hanging around him. Trust me, more soldiers only means more people for buckethead to scrap." Jazz said. "You just focus on your job-getting the people out of harm's way."

Back at the intersection, Optimus and Megatron continued fighting like lions battling for dominance, each blow being dealt with a rare fury emanating both of them. Optimus was angry at how lightly Megatron was taking this. To attack a city, bring himself out in the open and instigate a fight on a drunken whim; he thought Megatron was more disciplined than that, but it wasn't the first time Megatron disappointed him.

Megatron, seeking to push Optimus's buttons more, pointed his fusion canon at Jazz and Armorhide. Optimus kicked his arm upwards just as it fired, directing the beam into the sky and thankfully not hitting any buildings. Still holding Megatron's arm, Optimus drew his battle axe and slammed the blade into the cannon, cutting into its fusion core and rendering it inoperable.

Megatron brought out his new weapon in retaliation-his hand folded into his arm and in its place emerged an energo-morning star. Megatron brought the weapon, which sported long, sharp spikes, and buried it in the side of Prime's shoulder. Pain surged through Optimus's living metal frame as the spikes tore into his steel skin and severed connections under his armor. This pain allowed Optimus to react faster than normal, raising his axe and burying it into Megatron's collar, eliciting a pain howl in return.

This marked their most vicious battle yet since their duel in the snow covered lands of Yuktobania. Back then, Megatron had been in a mad power craze that led to them fighting in full view of two human armies. Optimus came dangerously close to death there, and it was only by chance that he survived in addition to Ore-13's limitations. But this was different. Megatron had not been empowered by Ore-13 or any other power source, he was simply fighting in a drunken rage. And that somehow enraged Optimus even more.

The two leaders glared furiously at each other. The pain only served to increase their growing aggression towards each other and their eyes burned with a fury unusual even for Megatron. This wasn't just some battle, they were fighting to kill.

Optimus kicked Megatron back, tearing the axe from his shoulder and ripping the morning star from his neck. Both leaders stumbled back, growling at each other, their minds clouded with pain, sparks and fluids shooting from their wounds. They waited for the pain to lessen to a dull throb and raised their weapons for another round. Behind him, Jazz and Armorhide ran at Megatron, having done what they could and were now ready to help Optimus.

Before they could reach him, however, a brilliant blue and crimson lattice of spiraling energy burst in the stormy night sky. Autobots and Decepticon were equally perplexed and disturbed.

Then a huge net expanded and descended, dropping rapidly as humans screamed and cybertronians readied their weapons that could never fire in time-and would not help even if they tried. The huge blue and crimson net covered five city blocks, passing harmlessly through buildings and vehicles, sparkling just a little brighter when it touched organic or living metallic matter.

Then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

And so was everyone it had touched.

XXXXXX

Walter Barnett, former Air Force Colonel, now government liaison for the Autobots, took a sip of his orange juice with a sigh as the cool drink cleared his sense and prepared him for the chaos the day had in store for him. Just a few minutes ago, he got an urgent phone call from General Abernathy about the incident in Edo. Not that Barnett really needed the head's up, as he was already on the move to get some answers. All around him, the Hexagon was on full alert with political and military officials gearing up to combat a threat they have absolutely no idea about.

His phone was still ringing with the ever so pleasant General Anthony Leonard on the Caller ID, but he didn't pick up. Barnett was already in his car driving to the Ark and he had time to listen to that man's anti-alien bull crap. Lord knows he had enough of that from Senator Cordell.

Making a sharp turn into an alleyway, Barnett called the Minicon base, Omega One for a ground bridge. "Sparkplug, I'm ready to go. Have a bridge ready for me."

He wanted to talk to them in person, not really trusting his nation's digital defenses anymore after Soundwave damn near caused the stock market to crash. He gave a lot of programmers and technicians in the Army bad dreams that day.

The ground bridge appeared before his car and he drive right into it, traveling hundreds of miles across the country in just a few seconds. It was disorienting at first, but over time he learned to get used to the feeling of being teleported through a spatial wormhole.

His car exited the ground bridge into the entrance tunnel of Omega One and he slowly parked the car in the base's main command center. Minicons were running all over the place, maintaining contact with the Ark. Sparkplug was the only one there to greet him.

"Agent Barnett." Sparkplug greeted him. "I take it you heard about the incident yesterday?"

"Of course. I had half a dozen military generals breathing down my neck as to what happened." Barnett sighed. He got out of his car and walked over to the Minicon. "I'd go to the Ark, but I heard that it's pretty chaotic over there too. You got anyone on call?"

"Just Ratchet. He's giving us updates while Prowl directs the team."

Sparkplug and Barnett walked up the stairs to the upper catwalk where they had an advanced computer system set up that looked totally out of place inside the old missile silo. Ratchet was on the screen looking stressed and visibly weathered.

"Ratchet, what's going on?"

"_That's what we're trying to figure out, Agent Barnett. It all happened so fast and out of nowhere."_ Ratchet said.

"Please do, because I've got quite a few top dogs back at the Hexagon demanding answers." Barnett shook his head. "Two thousand people, three Autobots and the Decepticon leader. This is a disaster."

"We don't even know if it was the Cons." Sparkplug said.

"What?" Barnett looked at him. "Are you sure-"

"Megatron was just as surprised as everyone else, Barnett. In fact, I believe Optimus, Megatron and the others were the intended targets. The humans were just caught up in the mess." Sparkplug surmised.

"_Prowl and Bumblebee are on site with Wheeljack trying to see what they can find." _

"Just those three?"

"_We need most of the team on standby in case the Cons try to do anything funny. With Megatron gone, I imagine there's some dissent among the ranks." _Ratchet sighed. _"I wouldn't put it past them not to try anything now that we're three mechs short."_

'So the bots are just as lost as we are.' Barnett thought in dismay. Unlike most people, he knew the Autobots were not invincible or immortal. Death was a common thing for their kind. But that didn't mean it wasn't unsettling to see these highly advanced aliens look just as confused as he was in just trying to find basic answers. What in the world could be more powerful than the cybertronians?  
XXXXXX

The roped off section in Edo was eerily quiet. Usually, with it being early morning, this part of the city would be bustling with early risers, school students and businessmen and women riding or walking to their jobs, but the streets and sidewalks were quiet…empty. Even the outside quarantined zone was avoided like the plague in fear of another attack. But none came. The only signs of life there were three Autobots and emergency crews on the scene.

Prowl projected an almost demonic air, no doubt because of his impassive gray face and long scarlet sensor array projected from his forehead like devil horns. He scanned the area for any clue to the alien energy that washed over the Ginza district just a few hours ago.

Bumblebee shifted through the wreckage for any leftover civilians wounded in the battle, but could find nothing. Wheeljack was flitting all over the place, running his scanner along anything he could find to get some sort of reading.

Seemingly oblivious to the presence of these mechanical giants, a host of rescue workers and emergency talos units dug through the ruins. Some wadded through knee-deep drifts of broken glass and shattered masonry in an effort to find those still beneath the wreckage. A huge, bowl-shaped blast area several blocks long and five blocks wide marked the boundaries of last night's combat. Inside the battle zone, the streets were all but impassable-not even heavy equipment could be brought in to help the talos clear the thoroughfares. Nearer to the scorched areas of that ruined zone, the streets were mostly clear. There were several dozen ambulances waiting, motors idling and emergency lights flashing, to rush survivors to nearby trauma centers. In numerous areas, firefighters still poured water on scattered flames that smoldered beneath the ruins, sending up thick black smoke that hovered over the rest of Edo.

"This is a disaster." Bumblebee grumbled as he helped lift heavy debris for the rescue workers to crawl under. "Optimus goes to his first public event in six months and this happens. So much for an after party."

"I'd say this is Murphy's Laws at work, but I'm a firm believer in the man." Prowl gathered some asphalt and put it in a vial for examination later. "Wheeljack, you find anything on your end?"

"Nothing we can physically touch, but I'm getting some faint readings." Wheeljack said.

"How faint?"

"As in fading by the second. I'm surprised I found anything at all." Wheeljack tapped his device to run more of an intensive scan of the area. "Come on, I'm running this thing on infrared and ultraviolet, do I have to electromagnetic too?"

"Just find what you can, Wheeljack. We can analyze it at the Ark." Bumblebee said.

They continued their investigation for the next ten minutes, but were quickly interrupted when a news crew appeared before them. Prowl quickly hid his annoyance at the interruption and went to help address the invasive press. He wondered who they paid off to get this close to the scene.

"This is Chris Killah reporting live from the site of last night's mysterious event in Edo. Joining me now are the two Autobots Bumblebee and Prowl. Bumblebee, would you tell us your opinion on what happened here?"

The nervous Autobot pointed at the camera. "Um, I…wow, we're really live?"

"Really." Chris confirmed.

Bumblebee's eyes widened. He wasn't ignorant of Terran culture in any way, shape of form. He had been with Gina and the twins after all. But that didn't meant he was immune to camera shyness. Of course, the reporter picked up on this like a shark on blood in the water and honed in on it, knowing how media attention could turn even the most brilliant scientist into a shy five year old.

"Gee, uh, I don't know what really happened. That's what we're here to find out." Bumblebee answered honestly. He was praying for Prowl to take the reigns soon. "Hopefully, we can find out what caused this and bring them all back."

The reporter nodded thoughtfully. "Everyone one of us in the media is very well aware of the good the Autobots have done for this planet. We've lost one of our own, and Isolde has been a champion during even your earliest days."

"Your concern would be touching if it weren't laced with honey and sugar to cover up the saltiness." Prowl said calmly, brutally tearing into the reporter without so much as a scathing word. "Ask your questions so we can go back to doing our jobs, please."

Chris swallowed his nervousness and put on a strained smile. "Are you aware of the rumors? And the avenues of speculation that the leading analysts have thus far suggested?"

Bumblebee shifted his weight from one foot to another and cleared his throat. "No, I'm not."

"Theories fall into two distinct categories. In the first, Prime, Megatron, Jazz and Armorhide were taken along with several hundred innocent humans-from this very spot-to parts unknown. By who? By what? There are quite a few theories on that as well." He said. "The second category suggests the Autobots, Decepticon and all these people are now dead, that they were reduced to or transformed to nothingness. So let's start with that, alive or dead, Bumblebee? What's your feeling?"

Bumblebee drew back flustered. "Well, um…I'm not sure-"

Prowl stomped into view, causing the cameramen and reporter to nearly lose their balance from the thumping vibrations of his feet.

"The buildings are still standing." Prowl said. "We know no force that could target both organic and cybernetic life forms, destroy or carrying, and leave everything else standing. No, If they had been destroyed, this place would be a smoking pit."

Chris was unconvinced. "But some force did target only the cybertronians and humans in this area. The question is whether it destroyed them or took them somewhere. Suggestions have been made that the Cybertronians themselves caused this to happen."

"Ridiculous." Prowl said.

"What about Megatron?" He went on, not relenting in his journalist assault. "He was here with only his second in command, up to something. Authorities are baffled as to how they got here undetected. Aren't you mildly curious? Is it beyond all reason, in your experience, to consider Megatron may have lured the others into some kind of trap?" Then his eyes twinkled. "Or are you suggesting that there is yet another alien race to be factored into this equation?"

"I didn't suggest anything, since you continue throwing words out and hope they hit their mark." Prowl replied. "Obviously we don't have any answers-we've come here looking for them just like everyone else. We pray that everyone is safe. For right now, until we learn more, that is all we can do."

Prowl nodded to Bumblebee and Wheeljack to pack up and leave while calling for a ground bridge. But Killah wasn't done with his interrogation.

"Wait, you still need to answer some questions!" He yelled. "The Osean public deserves to have some answers."

As the ground bridge opened before him, Prowl gave his final piece. "I'll answer your question when you answer one of mine."

"Fine, what is it?"

"How much did your boss have to pay to get you inside a roped off crime scene?"

Killah stood there shocked as Prowl walked away, signaling the interview wa s over and having the emergency officials escort them off the site.

"That was fun." Bumblebee said sarcastically.

"You need to watch what you say around the press, Bumblebee." Prowl cautioned. "Some of them are gold diggers like that man who will make everything you say out of proportions for ratings."

"Says the guy roasting a reporter on his own channel."

"I was getting tired of him playing twenty questions. I have better things to do than cater to the press." Prowl thought back to one of Killah's suggestions. "And he did give me an idea."

"What do you mean?"

"Something else might have kidnapped everyone last night. In fact, the humans were probably just collateral." Prowl said. "I think I have an idea on what took them."

XXXXXX

"Prowl, stop being cryptic and just tell us so we can plan our next move already." Arcee sighed. "You're the last person to withhold information for dramatic effect."

"Not until we get Wheeljack's results." Prowl said.

The Autobots, along with Agent Barnett, were waiting for Ratchet and Wheeljack to get the results back on the tests they did with the energy found at the disaster site. It was a long and frustrating day for everyone and they were not in the mood for Prowl's secret Santa routine, but the tactician was adamant on waiting for the results.

"Prowl, if you have answers, tell us now." Barnett said. "Every second we waste puts your friends and those people in danger."

Prowl ignored him and called the medibay on the ship's intercom. "Wheeljack, Ratchet, did you learn anything from your scans?"

"_We did, and it's nothing good." _The engineer said. "_I cross-referenced the energy we found in Ginza with those in Teletran's database and got back only one match with a 90 percent similarity."_

"What is it, then?" Ironhide demanded impatiently. "We don't have all day!"

"_It matches the energy pattern emanating from the stargate in Airlann, the one Megatron tried to use." _Ratchet said.

Barnett felt the atmosphere in the room drop dramatically as the Autobots made the connection. Prowl exhaled sharply and shook his head. "What does that mean?" Barnett asked.

"It means that Optimus, Megatron and the others were all taken by the aliens that we've previously informed you about." Tomahawk said. "The aliens who were lying dormant on your planet for centuries."

"The dolems." Bulkhead growled.

"Dolems?" Barnett blinked. The Autobots had warned both him and the president about the race of stone beings who had lived on Terra in the distant past but had been in hibernation until modern times. It was hard to believe, though they had shown footage of Temperantia unleashing hell on the Canadian landscape during the Winter Solstice. Three towns were destroyed in a single day, within a minute of each other. And now one of those beings was involved in this mess? "I thought you said you beat them!"

"_We said we fought them off. Even after killing three Cardinals, we still had some encounters with the lesser dolems."_ Ratchet said.

"So the dolems took our friends and the humans." Cliffjumper grunted, crossing his arms. "Why do it in the middle of a city? I thought you guys said they were discreet about taking over the world or whatever the hell it is."

"I honestly think they couldn't give a damn, Cliffjumper." Prowl said. "But that's not the worst of it."

"Here we go." Skyfire sighed.

"_What happened last night must've required a lot of power to perform."_ Wheeljack said. _"Too much for a single dolem soldier. We have good reason to assume that a Cardinal might be behind this event. It's the only possible conclusion." _

"Great, so now we know who snatched up our boys and the humans. So how do we get them back? How do we find them?" Cliffjumper asked impatiently.

No one had an answer to that. The Cardinals had always taken the offensive in the past, attacking the cybertronians in fits of rage. This was the forth and possibly final Cardinal, but they knew nothing about its power, its appearance or even its name. All it did was take what it wanted and left. They were at a dead end.

"**Alert! Alert!"**

Bumblebee slammed his head against the wall. "What now?!"

Prowl pressed a button on the computer and brought up a global map. "Decepticons sighted in the Arctic."

Ironhide looked at the screen. "Don't tell me those yahoos are actually trying to mine S-17."

"S-17?" Barnett inquired.

"One of the largest untapped energon deposits in the world. Neither side has really tried to get it because it was buried deep inside a glacier." Bulkhead explained.

"And judging from the satellite readings, they're using a new method to get to the energon. Temperatures are steadily rising over the glacier as we speak." Tomahawk reported.

"Prowl, if a glacier of that size melts, sea levels will rise and demolish coastal cities!" Barnett exclaimed.

"Say no more, Barnett, we got this. Bulkhead, Mirage, Skyfire, Arcee, Tomahawk, go handle the Cons." Prowl ordered. "The rest of you, keep your eyes open. We need to figure out how to get the others back and fast!"

XXXXXX

Darkshadow, commander of the Razors, watched alongside the rest of her team as Shockblast burrowed through the glacier with a solar powered particle beam from his satellite alt mode, using energy gathered from the solar panels along his alt mode's fins. Shockblast may have sucked at recon, but he was very versatile in how he used his alt mode in other ways.

"Maybe we should've had the Nemesis come hover and help him out." Wreckage said, playing around with his arm blade. "If I knew this was going to take this log, we should've had Knockout along to melt the ice with his smile."

"Shut up, Wreckage." Darkshadow said. It was an odd time to start hunting for energon, but with the disappearance of Megatron and Optimus Prime in the same night, they needed to stake their claim before the Autobots recovered and regrouped. Unlike some Cons, Darkshadow knew the Autobots could operate without Prime provided they had adequate leadership. They needed to make their move before their enemies had a chance to realize what was going on.

Nightshade was quick to make sure there were no power plays when news of Megatron's disappearance reached the Nemesis. Soundwave and Dreadwing enforced order on the ship, and the latter made sure that Starscream behaved himself, though the former Seeker commander wasn't even trying to take over.

"_We all know Megatron isn't dead." _Starscream said in disgust. _"He's been through hell and back in the past and returned even stronger. Don't be surprised when he turns up sporting a new paint job or something equally stupid like that."_

'Leave it to Starscream to keep morale up without even trying.' Darkshadow thought with a chuckle. "Fracture, how far down are we?"

"We're just over half way to the energon." Fracture said, looking over the scans of the glacier. "But once we reach it, we'll have to move quickly. The heat from Shockblast's beam will cause the glacier to break apart."

"Understood." Darkshadow said and turned back to Shockblast. "Shockblast, speed it up. The Autobots could be on us at any-"

"_Autobots spotted! They're coming from the canyon north of our position!" _Guncannon (Movie Gunbarrel) reported over the comm.

"…Moment. For frag's sake." Darkshadow sighed and looked toward the direction the Autobots were coming from. "Can you see who's coming?"

"_I got three Bots coming from the canyon: Autobots Bulkhead, Arcee and Tomahawk." _Guncannon paused a bit before continuing. _"And I think I see Skyfire head right for you, commander."_

"Let's take out the trash." Darkshadow grinned. "Wreckage, Guncannon, get rid of them. Fracture, you stay here and guard Shockblast. I'll handle Skyfire. Shockblast, hurry the hell up!"

"I'm moving!" Shockblast shouted. "Firing this beam fragging hurts!"

"Just shut up and keeping that beam running!" Darkshadow jumped off the cliff she stood on and changed into her jet mode, shooting into the sky towards Skyfire.

"Bout damn time we got some action!" Wreckage jumped off the cliff and descended towards the Autobots.

From his vantage point on his own little ledge, Guncannon, who's alt mode was a missile tank, spun his missile rack around to target the Autobots and locked on. He shot one missile at the approaching Autobots, which they noticed almost immediately.

"Incoming!" Tomahawk called out.

The three Autobots broke apart as the missile blew a large crater in the ground. Tomahawk flew up to fire rockets at Guncannon's position, while Bulkhead and Arcee continued driving out of the canyon. Up ahead they saw Wreckage and Fracture driving at them at full speed.

"I got this bozo!" Bulkhead increased his speed, as did Wreckage and the two mechs drove as fast as they could at each other.

Just before they were close enough to see their reflections in each other's grills, Bulkhead and Wreckage transformed and leapt at each other. The metallic clang of their firsts meeting in the air rang throughout the snowy valley and made the air between them vibrate as they jumped back and brought out their weapons, a wrecking ball for Bulkhead and a serrated arm blade for Wreckage.

"You should've stayed in bed, Autobot." Wreckage growled.

"And you should've stayed in whatever hole you crawled out of to get here!" Bulkhead retorted.

The two mechs charged at each other and swung their weapons, creating another metallic screech that rang through the air.

Tomahawk was busy dodging the laser blasts Gunbarrel fired at her from his twin cannons. His alt mode was an anti-aircraft tank designed to handle aircraft just like her, so it was hard sitting in one place while he peppered her location with laser blasts and rockets. Still, Gunbarrel was getting frustrated with his lack of hits on her.

"Stay still, you flighty bastard!" He grunted, shooting blast after blast at her.

"Yelling that at your enemies won't make them stand still!" Tomahawk shot a missile at the ledge Gunbarrel was standing on and destroyed it.

Gunbarrel cursed as the ground crumbled underneath him. He changed forms and jumped off the crumbling ledge, rammed into Tomahawk, dragging them both down to the ground. They tumbled down the canyon wall hitting each other before Tomahawk kicked him away and landed on the ground on her feet. Gunbarrel landed on his back right beside her, but he pointed one of his cannons at her face and grinned.

"Light's out!" He said and fired his cannon.

XXXXXX

"Tomahawk's unit should be able to handle the Cons for now." Prowl said to the other Autobots. "Barnett, are there any naval units close by?"

"Not that far up into the Arctic, no, but the rise in temperature will attract attention." Barnett sighed.

"Tell them to keep their distance until we can handle the Cons. The last thing we need is Shockblast unleashing that beam on a battleship." Prowl turned to the others. "Right now, we need all hands ready for what might come next."

"Next?" Barnett echoed. "What, you think the Cons have another target in mind?"

"Not the Cons, the dolems. They don't just cut and run after a stunt like that in Edo. They've made it very clear that they want all cybertronians dead and rusting in the dirt, no matter what." Prowl replied. Barnett just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Prowl, we need to find those missing people. The Imperial Court in Nippon is on a war path right now, and the higher ups at the Hexagon will want some answers as well!"

"Unless your superiors have experience in quasi-mystical quantum mechanics, I don't want to hear anything from them." The tactician said. "We're operating on two fronts and I don't want outside influences telling us how to do our jobs."

There was another alert from Teletran-1, which Ironhide answered. "What is it, Teletran?"

"**An unknown object has just appeared in the city square of November City." **Teletran-1 reported. **"Displaying image now."**

On the main monitor, video footage of the object appeared on the screen, being shown live on emergency news broadcasts, and the Autobots went silent at it.

"What the hell is that thing?" Rodimus breathed.

XXXXXX

The "thing" in question had crashed into the middle of November City, smashing into a couple of buildings until it finally landed in the middle of an intersection. At first, the civilians thought it was a meteor, but its odd appearance quickly killed that believe. In fact, its appearance was anything but natural.

It was a giant sphere, sea green in color, made of a stone similar to jade, and looked untouched despite crashing through multiple buildings. It just sat there smoking and hissing, not looking too dangerous, but no one was willing to take any chances. Police and emergency crews evacuated the area as an Autobot team consisting of Rodimus, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker arrived on the scene.

"Careful guys, we don't know what we're dealing with here when it comes to these things." Rodimus warned the twins. "Watch yourselves."

"Hot Rod, unless it's a bomb, I don't see how this thing's gonna cause us any problems." Sideswipe said. He picked up a rock and chucked it at the sphere, smirking as it bounced off harmlessly. "See? Nothing."

"And people call me reckless." Rodimus sighed. He then noticed that the sphere was shaking a bit and raised his arm blasters. "Sideswipe!"

The sphere suddenly broke apart, its stone hide peeling back to reveal a golden orb at its center for just a few seconds before reshaping itself into a cannon barrel pointed directly at Sideswipe. Channeling energy from its core, it fired a blast that hit Sideswipe in his chest and sent him crashing down the street for almost three blocks before he landed on a car.

"Bro!" Sunstreaker exclaimed and glared at the creature. Rodimus saw the dolem adjust its aim at them to attack again, charging up for another shot.

"Prowl, this thing's hostile!"

This dolem was called Radiance, and it spared no expense at attacking the two Autobots. It changed its spherical body into stone sword and sickle before charging at them. It only had one task to complete and that was to eliminate any cybertronians it encountered. Anyone who got in its way was to be eliminated too.

All to reclaim their beautiful world in the name of the Cardinals.

* * *

**Finally, we're here at book 3! It's great to give you guys some new stuff. As expected, lots of things have changed on Terra, but many things have stayed the ****same. Now that the Autobots are getting help from the world's nations, the children won't have as big as a role as they did before, but they'll be facing their ****own problems as they adjust to regular lives after everything they've experienced (Darren especially). The human/esper conflict will also take center stage in ****later chapters and things get really crazy before we even reach the double digits. Thank you all for staying with me for this long and I hope you enjoy Trans****formers Titan: Devastation! Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	2. The Day Terra Stood Still part 2

Chapter 2-The Day Terra Stood Still part 2

"So, Optimus," Jazz muttered. "Think they're ever going to turn on the lights in this place?"

Optimus sat totally still in the darkness. No, it was more than darkness. He was in a voice, an area that defied his senses and eluded every scan. Unlike organics, he could set his eyes to see into almost every spectrum band, and his audio array could act as a sonar to increase his reach without even moving a cable.

None of these abilities were doing him the slightest bit of good. All he could feel was that he was alive, intact and miraculously healed, and sitting upon some flat surface, a bench or shelf of some kind. Jazz's voice had startled him back to reality, and that meant that some of his senses were working…while others were not.

Or were being blocked.

He knew Jazz wasn't too far from him, about 15 meters away, 80 degrees to his left, but that was all he could tell. He still couldn't see a thing, and he had no idea if they were alone.

"Armorhide?" Optimus called out, surprised he was able to hear his own voice. "Megatron?"

There was no reply.

"I think we're alone." Jazz said, breaking the silence. "What happened? Was it the Cons?"

"If it was, Megatron didn't know a thing about it. I was looking right at him when the lightshow hit. He was just as surprised as the rest of us." Optimus said. He groaned and rubbed at his eyes. "Primus, my sense of time is skewed."

"How long do you think this is going to go on?" Jazz asked. "I hate that I can't move."

"Anyone who's seen you dance already knows you can't move, Jazz." Optimus said.

"Har, har, kick a mech when he's down."

A surprisingly soft and turgid voice intruded the conversation. **"Yes. Test your boundaries. Attempt to discern if you have any strengths beyond physical. This is an excellent beginning." **

Optimus and Jazz went silent at once, expecting the voice to say something more. It did not.

"Who are you?" Optimus demanded. "Where have you taken us?"

The voice remained silent. Though there was no physical change in the atmosphere surrounding him, Prime could sense that a shift occurred, that the entity was monitoring the more closely, but refused to answer any questions.

In fact, it appeared more interested when Optimus and Jazz traded barbs and wanted to see a fight.

"Only those with something to hide refuse to show their face," Optimus said, switching tactics. "Or those who are afraid."

Nothing.

"Ugh, bored now." Jazz sighed, giving a slightly exaggerated groan. This was a tactic Jazz felt would work, acting disinterested to get a rise out of their captors, and it worked like a charm.

"**You're bored?" **The Voice inquired. **"Your fate is uncertain. The matter of your immediate continued existence is up for debate. You are little more than a few impulses of energy facing racing about a cybernetic brain, all else is uncertain, a mystery, and yet you are bored?"**

"There's nothing to see." Jazz shrugged, playing his act up as much as he could. "Nothing to do."

"**You see no value in pondering your current state?"**

"Nope. It's dull." He said, driving the final nail into the coffin of their captor's patience and tolerance.

The voice hesitated, then bellowed, **"Behold!"**

The darkness about them lifted, slinking away from the edges of their vision. No, it simply lifted. The infinite voice surrounding Optimus and Jazz melted away and was replaced by a spherical sea of stars around them. Optimus realized that they were encased within some type of sphere that looked like it was composed of nebulae.

Optimus was pleased. Once again, Jazz had shown his hidden intelligence and sly wit to fool this entity into revealing their prison. At least, he thought it was a clever ply. Jazz could've been actually bored.

Now able to move, Optimus looked around and saw that he and Jazz were not the only ones encased in a spherical prison. More than a hundred such translucent balls of energy stretched outward in either direction, only a dozen yards separating one from the next. Optimus saw Armorhide and Megatron, who had also been healed-in one off to their immediate left. The rest were filled with the humans that were taken alongside them.

They were all floating an arena made of smooth marble with blue-gray walls and a circular perimeter that played host to seats. But the arena was just one of the many features that caught Prime's attention.

The environment the arena sat in was like an inverted planet or moon-a dyson sphere, in Gina's vernacular. The interior was spherical and there were swaths of land with blue strips of water separating them hundreds of feet wide. A world within a world.

"What in Prima's name?" Optimus muttered. What is this place? Where were they?

"How can something like this place exist?" Jazz asked, equally awestruck.

"**It exists because we will it so. It serves a function…as with all of you."**

The air above the arena shifted to reveal a massive creature all too familiar to the two Autobots. This creature had a round body shaped like a plant see made of hard emerald, and attached to it were four faces; three depicted men, but the main one was that of a cherubic child.

"**Look at me and despair," **The dolem said with a disturbingly child-like voice. **"For I am vast."**

"You're a dolem. A cardinal." Optimus said. This situation went from bad to worse in the span of a few seconds.

"**You have seen your final destination." **The Cardinal rang out, a multilayered voice droning from the cherub's face, its expression literally stone. **"There is no way out of my realm. And where you have been taken, there is no hope of escape."**

Jazz huffed. "It's insecure about it. It's not so arrogant as to show us how we got in because then we'd figure a way out."

"**Not at all. I am simply solidifying that there is no way for your friends to save you, and you cannot run from me here, in my paradise…my Eden. You will be safe here, with me, until the End of Days, and our Lady Jubileus awakens to perform the Final Judgment."**

"Who are you?" Prime demanded.

"**I am Lustitia, Cardinal of the South." **

"And I'm Jazz, glad to meet you." Jazz laughed hollowly.

"**I look upon you cybertronians now, and wonder how such stagnate beings have killed three of my kind already." **Lustitia said. **"How a race of beings who have flawlessly orchestrated the fall of their homeworld be able to refuse the might of our God."**

"You clearly have not been paying attention." Optimus remarked.

"**We know what's inside you. Each of you. You conspire to be something more or something different, but your evolution stopped long ago. The false god that birthed you clearly has not done a good job of enacting discipline on you all."**

"And clearly your creator was so ashamed of how violent and barbaric its children have become that it abandoned you." Optimus shot back.

A 20 foot long tentacle with a bulbous tip similar to a spore emerged from Lustitia's mouth and slammed against Prime's orb. He winced as the disgusting plant-like extension caused a high pitched ringing that assaulted his visual and audio sensors. Thankfully it didn't last long and stopped after just a few minutes, but Optimus could feel his steel bones vibrating.

"Why have you taken the humans?" Optimus asked, his voice tight with anger. "What are you planning to do with them?"

"**Free yourself of concern. They're safe…for now. They will remain unharmed, so long as you comply with my commands."**

"They're hostages?" Jazz spat with contempt. "Why not just reprogram us? Make us do what you want? You're forcing us anyway."

"**No, I'm not. The spheres jumble your cognitive process, making physical movement difficult, but you've always possessed free will, whether you realize that or not. Your physical strength is not the only measure of your power, and that is something you must learn."**

"Go to hell." Optimus growled.

"**We are already there, Optimus Prime, and it is a realm of your kind's making. Now lie still and look upon the arena, for that is where you will show me your worth. Why Jubileus is obsessed with you so."**

It took the Autobots a moment to realize that the arena was being used as a battleground between two beings. One of them was a dolem, a lithe, womanly creature with smooth marble skin and a jewel encrusted golden headdress over her eyes. Her opponent was more hellish looking; a misshapen creature with a humanoid torso sporting abnormally long arms that dragged across the ground. Its head was bone white, with a skull-like face with burning eyes within hollow sockets and curved horns atop its head. Its lower body was merged with an equine body that looked like a skeletal horse, with its ribs and head covered in hard bone. But its feet had eerily human-like claws instead of hooves.

The dolem's name was Joy, a warrior of the Second Sphere and vastly more intelligent than the drones of the Third Sphere. The demonic horseman she fought was the remnants of a savage alien known to many as the Didir in translated human tongue. Already ghoulish in appearance, this Didir had been pushed to the very brink of insanity by Lustitia.

Joy danced around the arena in a graceful acrobatic display, leaving trails of golden sparkles in her wake. The Didir's ravaged wraith-like form let out a terrifying wheeze as it galloped towards the dolem, its hands grasping the stone as it charged at her. It swung its long arms and tried to grab her, but she danced out of its reach and fluttered the translucent shawl that extended from her arms. Four thin beams of light shot from the cloth and pierced the Didir's body. It howled and swung its arm to smack her away.

The crowd rose on either side of the combatants. It was comprised of different types of dolems, members of the lower class First Spheres and the more intelligent Second Spheres. They all sat close enough to have a ringside view of the fighting, and their garbled cries and cheers were like listening to the deep rumbles of Metroplex's inner workings. Optimus realized that they cheered more for Joy than the Didir. The more horrifying realization he made was that they wanted her to tear the alien apart. This wasn't some gladiator match. It was an execution.

Joy danced circles around the Didir, slashing away at its arms as it tried to hit her and quickly closed the distance between them. A quick thought turned her scarves into solid gold and stabbed into the creature's equine body, earning a pained wheeze from the alien. She jumped on its body and severed both its arms with a flick of her wrist, and the Didir wailed in agony, mouth wheezing and gasping for mercy, with crimson, almost black, blood spurting from its stumps. Joy took hold of one of its horns and slashed her hand across its neck, separating head from body in one quick motion.

Was this a fight or a glorified execution? Optimus was still trying to figure out the answer even as Joy lifted her gory prize for all to see, earning more cheers from her people. Above the arena, Lustitia looked on impassively.

"**Will you be as unfortunate as that creature? Or will you show me the power my Goddess craves from you?" **Lustitia asked. **"It seems that we will find the answer together."**

Optimus could do nothing but glare up at the Cardinal, at the dolems as a whole, as these self-proclaimed gods preached about spreading warmth and light to the universe but do it through conquest and subterfuge. They were no different from galactic warlords, hiding their greed for power and glory under a thin guise of benevolence. He had seen all this before and it made him sick.

And yet…

Something within him had responded to the visceral action he witnessed. Something buried deep had flared, if only for an instant, as the dolems committed their slaughter.

Something within the Matrix.

XXXXXX

Fracture frowned as she watched her team fight the Autobots. They were doing their job in keeping the Autobots at bay for the most part, but something didn't sit well with her. She saw Darkshadow fighting Skyfire, Tomahawk and Gunbarrel duking it out in the snow, Wreckage fighting Arcee and Bulkhead, everyone was accounted for, but she still felt uneasy.

"Shockblast, how close are we to the energon vein?" Fracture asked.

"Are you seriously asking me that now?" He yelled.

"Don't start with me, Shockblast, we're running on a tight schedule here, so every second counts. Increase the power to your beam and hurry up!" Fracture yelled at him, ignoring his protests about burning up and looked around the cliff she stood on. "Come on out, Autobot, I know you're here somewhere!"

She felt the air shift behind her and ducked just as a vibro-blade slashed over her head. She converted her arm into a blaster and fired at her attacker, but she hit nothing. Backing away, she looked around frantically. "Show yourself, coward! I know who you are, so your little tricks won't work on me!"

"Aw, and I didn't even get to the main event." The air shimmered and a slender blue and white mech appeared out of thin air. "Got to admit, Fracture, I didn't think you'd find me out so quickly."

"How can I forget the Autobot with carnival tricks under his belt?" Fracture flexed her left hand and brought out a vibro-blade. "Especially when said Autobot is a traitor!"

"Can't betray something you don't believe in." Mirage replied.

Fracture ran forward and slashed her blade at Mirage's head. He jumped back and took out his own vibro-blade to parry her attacks and force her back to end her assault. Despite their differences in size, they were evenly matched. Fracture was just a bit faster and she landed a few hits on his arms, but he managed to avoid any fatal strikes. When she tried to stab his face, he dodged her blade and grabbed her extended arm to throw her over his shoulder and slam her into the ground. Fracture twisted her body and kicked him in the chin before using her legs to slam her body into his chest. He stumbled back and managed to catch himself before falling off the edge.

"I thought you had a better sense of tactics, Mirage." Fracture said, pointing her blade at his face. "You should've gone for Shockblast while you had the chance."

Mirage smirked. "What makes you think I didn't?"

Fracture's eyes widened and she spun around to Shockblast. "Shockblast, shut the beam off!"

"Oh, now you want me to-" Shockblast's sarcastic reply was cut short when the sticky bomb attached to the side of his alt mode exploded. The explosion blew off a chunk of Shockblast's body and sent him spiraling out of control. He was still channeling his solar beam, which had torn a deep gouge in the icy ground and up the cliff side. Fracture and Mirage jumped apart as the beam nearly incinerated the cliff they were fighting on, and Shockblast's body did a full rotation before his beam descended upon the other fighting bots.

"Holy…!" Skyfire kicked Darkshadow away before the beam passed dangerously close to her leg. Arcee, Bulkhead and Wreckage also jumped apart as the heat beam slammed into the ground and blasted them all away. Thankfully, Shockblast had finally run out of energy and crashed into the side of the canyon, tumbling down to the ground.

"Wow," Mirage coughed as he pushed himself up, brushing the snow off him. "Wasn't expecting it to be that flashy."

"Slag," Fracture growled. "All that work and we didn't even pierce the energon!"

"Sucks to suck, huh, Fracture?" Mirage grinned.

"That's enough out of you!" Fracture charged at Mirage and slammed into him, shoving her blaster in his face. They rolled along the ground grappling for control, but before their fight could turn deadly, they saw something falling from the sky. Mirage saw that it was heading right on top of them and pushed Fracture off him.

"Move!"

Mirage and Fracture rolled away from each other as a large ball made of jade slammed into the ground where they once stood. Autobots and Decepticons looked up as the Radiance dolem bounced along the ground, making the ground shake with each impact.

"Friend of yours, Bulkhead?" Wreckage spat.

Radiance stopped bouncing and its outer shell broke apart, reorganizing into two large stone hands that tried to grab at Mirage and Fracture, who each barely managed to jump out of reach. The hands slammed together and merged together to form a giant jade drill and shot at Bulkhead and Arcee.

"Nope, only foe." Bulkhead sighed.

Arcee took out her blaster. "One large enough for all of us."

XXXXXX

The situation was hectic for everyone. Prowl and Ratchet got word of more dolems in various parts of the western hemisphere, centered around Osea, where they landed in cities all over the country. Prowl was losing his patience, but he carefully kept his stress to a minimum as he coordinated the mobilization of the Autobots on multiple fronts. Bulkhead, Arcee, Mirage, Tomahawk and Skyfire were dealing with the Cons in the Arctic. Rodimus, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were handling the one in November City. Bumblebee, Moonracer, and Cliffjumper were fighting one in Lanshaw, Minnesota. Hound and Ironhide were Dakote, and Wheeljack and Trailbreaker were fighting one in Seattle, Washington. They were spread thin, and Prowl was sure if another dolem appeared, then he would have to roll out with Ratchet or Lifeline to fight it.

"Sparkplug, give me a sit rep." Prowl said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"We just got a call from Bulkhead. There's a dolem in the Arctic too and it's attacking everyone." Sparkplug reported.

"At least they took care of that damn heat wave." Prowl muttered. "For all the good that means."

"If this keeps up, we might have to call the military in for support." Barnett said. "If that happens, I'm not sure we'll get out of this without casualties."

"Let's focus on the ones we're dealing with now, Agent Barnett." Sparkplug said. "We have enough on our plate as it is."

"Then who's conducting the search for Prime and the others?"

"The children and the Minicons at Omega One." At Barnett skeptical look, Prowl said, "The children have experience with this kind of phenomena before, Agent Barnett, and they're more capable of providing assistance than anyone else."

Barnett didn't argue that. Of course the human officials who were a part of the agreement between the government and the Autobots knew about their human allies, the children who made first contact with the Minicons. Barnett had paid close attention to how close the children were to the Autobots and Minicons, who treated them as part of the team and displayed extensive knowledge about their culture and technology, among other things. Those who knew about the children mainly worked with the ARA, and only Barnett knew the full extent of how deep their relationship went.

Barnett wasn't crazy about involving children in these things, especially with something as dangerous as this, but it was hard to dispute that the children were certainly more equipped to handle these things than anyone else. His conversation with Gina Harkins showed that.

'I'm sorry, Prime, but it falls to you and the others to get yourselves free.' Prowl thought. 'I just hope you have the means to do so.'

XXXXXX

The Cybercord Treaty was an agreement between the Autobots and the Osean government that had been made official almost a month before "Declaration Day". The terms were simple; the Autobots would protect Terra from the Decepticons and in return, not only will the Osean government grant them asylum in their territory, they will also provide military assistance in locating the remaining Minicon stasis panels. Information will be traded freely, but only information (Optimus made it clear to the president and his advisors that Osea will not be given advancements in weaponry). The treaty originally only included Osea, but over the past six months, it grew to accept more nations.

One of the conditions of the treaty was for the Autobots to have a permanent base in the country. Of course, no one was vacating the Ark any time soon, but the Minicons were given a place of their own instead to live and work in. They were given a base built out of a hollowed out cave system built into a mountain deep into a section of Yellowstone Park, in an area where visitors weren't allowed to go. The interior was made to be large enough to allow almost a dozen Autobots to hang around in, so it was perfect for over two dozen Minicons to live in. Once they installed some computers, two power generators, and a little human touch courtesy of Penny, Omega One soon became a remote haven for the wayward Minicons of the Exodus.

Away from the flashing cameras, gawking humans and stuffy government officials, the Minicons lived here in relative peace, free to work on their own while remaining in contact with the Autobots. And since the Autobots were currently engaged in fighting off the dolems on multiple fronts, it fell to the human/Minicon support team to locate those missing Autobots and humans. Which was easier said than done.

"So much for Friday night fever." Annie grumbled angrily.

"Don't complain, Annie, we're on the clock." Darren said.

"Piss off, I had to walk out on Brittany for this crap and we're no closer to finding those people than the Autobots!" She yelled.

"Hence why we need to think outside of the box." Gina said, her eyes scanning what news footage she could find of the incident in Ginza. Tapping her chin, she replayed the video, keeping an eye on the energy lattice that captured every living thing it touched. "There's something we're missing here. Sara, Roll Bar how are you two doing?"

Sara and Roll Bar were analyzing the energy samples Wheeljack sent over, trying their best to at least identify what it was. Judging from their expressions, they weren't having much luck.

"This is certainly no tangible energy form I've ever seen." Roll Bar scratched his head. The ionized container in front of him held an invisible, but audibly pulsating energy that shimmered like heat waves on a hot summer day. "It's not catalogued in our database and we can't analyze it properly without risking its dispersal into the air."

"The dolems call this energy quintessence." Sara said, looking at the container without blinking. "It is the source of their powers. They call it the life energy of the planet."

"Yeah, I heard them refer to it the same way to speak about blood." Gina pointed out. "In fact, Darren, Annie, I think your weapons run on that energy too."

The twins looked at each other at the mention of their weapons. It had been a while since either of them had used their respective weapons in battle since the Headmaster War, though Annie still regularly practiced with Mjolnir to remain in shape. Darren rarely touched Excalibur following his traumatic battle against Aries. Giving her brother a quick look, Annie held out her hand and Mjolnir flew out of its containment cell and into her hand.

"If that's the case, then why don't we try something out?" Annie walked over to the case holding the mysterious energy and held Mjolnir close to it. After a few seconds, the hammer started vibrating in her hand and it glowed softly.

"That must be Mjolnir resonating with the energy inside." Sara leaned forward, a little intrigued by this odd reaction. "This is…incredible."

"Yeah, it's something else. So what the hell does it mean?" Darren asked. Robotic aliens and mythical weapons that scan for specific DNA patters he could handle. Mystical energies wielded by god-like aliens was something else for him entirely. Could we use it to find the Autobots?"

"Possibly, but it might take a while." Gina sighed. "With no clues to their actual location, we're going to have to do global scans and just hope that we find some…super dimensional doorway or something."

"Then let's do it. We don't have any other choice." Roll Bar cracked his knuckles and got to work. "The Autobots are counting on us, and we can't let them down."

XXXXXX

Armorhide woke up to a white room on a recharge slab in a small compartment. It was empty save for a desk and a window with a door right next to it.

"This is…" Armorhide sat up as he remembered where he was. This was his apartment in Rodion, the very day he had been stationed in the city as an Autobot cadet. The day Rodion fell…and the first day he saw true terror for himself.

Something washed over him and the agitation he felt from the memories faded into a sense of elation. He stood up and stretched his stiff joints before heading back to the window.

Rodion was the sight to see for newcomers visiting the city for the first time. It was a riot of graceful, curved structures-each one colossal, with its spires and towers reaching miles into the brilliant azure sky. Shining ziggurats, their pinnacles laced with clouds, gleamed with a million arching lights. Delicate bridges connected the high structures to one another.

Armorhide resided in a graceful high tower of cezium steel and shimmering glass. He was spared the hassle of sharing his living quarters with another Autobot thanks to his late admission to the ranks. Stepping onto the balcony, he peered down over the edge. Three or more human miles below were long supply trains with a thousand cars, each the size of a terran cargo ship, carried goods to the dwellers of the bustling city. Armorhide recalled that those supply convoys moved day and night, for it they ceased, the city would stop functioning.

The next few minutes were a blur for Armorhide. One minute he was standing on his balcony, the next he was inside a leisure scooter heading towards the Assembly-a massive, circular domed and spired structure in the exact heart of Rodion. The Assembly was a special place-a center of Rodion science, astrology and technology. Before the war, it was like one giant star map that showed the locations of cybertronian colonies and outposts across the eastern arm of the galaxy in detailed holo-displays that were beautiful and awe-inspiring to behold. Even when Rodion became a shell of its former glory, the Assembly was still maintained by a skeleton crew for Autobots who just wanted some time away from the war.

Still drifting along as if in a dream, Armorhide scanned his surroundings, careful to note each and every detail to store them in his memory. Outside his leisure scooter, Armorhide saw vehicles of all sorts leaving and converging at the Assembly. Armorhide saw thousands of other citizens walking along high bridges, moving past a million examples of fine art, design and sculpture as they boarded the moving sidewalks that carried them into the main hall.

He got off near the shape of the domed Assembly building and walked towards it. He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of his home city. It all seemed so real. He could reach out and put his hands on any of it and truly believed the illusion was now his reality…except for that fourth wall. It remained a brilliant light, untouched by his desires.

He was drawn to it. The closer he came to the wall, the less comfortable he felt. Yet he had to know what lay beyond it.

Armorhide touched the wall…and screamed. The brilliant light faded and beyond it he saw a tenable vista of untouchable annihilation. Beyond the wall lay the day of the attack.

Beyond the wall lay Megatron.

XXXXXX

The Fall of Rodion. A momentous even in the War for Cybertron in which a massive battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that resulted in the city's destruction. Rodion was a pro-Autobot state that had arrested or killed any pro-Decepticons supporters that even thought about joining Megatron. In the later years of the WFC, which was known as the Crucible, Megatron himself led an army to attack and destroy the city. It got even more chaotic when Superion and Devastator fought. In the end, Rodion fell, but the amount of soldiers and resources lost in the battle didn't make his victory taste nearly as sweet.

Megatron could remember the elation he felt, torching the city that Orion Pax had once called home, the place where he developed his ideas of revolution and change against the Senate. It held memories for both of them, and ripping it from Prime's arms was euphoric.

'Yes,' Megatron thought. 'It truly was a day to remember, wasn't it?'

"If this is your way of trying to fool me into being complacent, you're sorely mistaken! Rodion wasn't a happy day for me, you idiot!" He yelled to the mysterious force manipulating his memories.

The environment shifted, and Megatron found himself in Kaon, the Decepticon power base and his new home. Against his will, contentment filled Megatron's being as he gazed at his homeland, the first city he liberated from the Primes' rustful hand.

Everywhere industrial factories belched smoke from superheated refineries that melted various ores mined from the surrounding environment. Towering factories that once served to provide weapons and goods to the disgraceful elite now forged weapons for the glorious Decepticon army. The sky was blackened with smoke from a million furnaces, with spidery buildings of glass, steel and stone spreading their jagged peaks into the sky. Kaon, the heart and birthplace of the Decepticon war machine.

With a tug of what humans call nostalgia, Megatron longed to walk the dark streets of his home city once again.

"Dolems!" He called out. "You must know that I am not like the others you've taken. Show yourselves to me. Reveal yourself in my presence, or spare me these mediocre mind games and wake me back up!"

There was no reply, yet Megatron felt a surge of frustration ring at the back of his mind that definitely didn't come from him. He smiled-one thing that he could hold over most is that he didn't let distant memories of the past cloud his vision of the present and future. And no fancy statue was going to distract him of his conquest of the galaxy!

The environment shimmered like a mirage, but instead of changing, Megatron felt his consciousness return. He smirked-now this is where the fun part began. His dream of home melted away, and Megatron slowly opened his eyes to the sound of a massive crowd cheering and large metal footsteps that could only belong to Prime in the distance. Yes, he even recognized the footsteps of his mortal enemy.

A fight was coming. At least one of the Autobots was being forced to fight. Megatron wished he could see it, but as his senses returned to him, he realized that he was in a physical chamber near some arena. He was the next show after the Autobot.

'So that's how they see us. We're just entertainment. Retched pieces of pumice!' Megatron growled. Those good for nothing animals will rue the day they treated him like some windup soldier. He broke free of his chains once, and he could do so again.

XXXXXX

"I'm never playing with Legos again!" Bumblebee exclaimed as he ducked under a sword slash from Radiance. The ever changing dolem was now in the form of two giant swords that were connected to its golden core. He fired his gun at the core, but the blades merged together into a giant bird and slammed into him, sending him smashing into a car. "Ow."

"You play with Legos?" Moonracer said, trying to take aim at the dolem through the scope of her sniper rifle. It was hard trying to get a good shot in with the creature shifting and moving every few seconds. "How'd you get into that?"

"Gina's idea. Said it'd do wonders for my creativity and imagination." Bumblebee jumped aside as Radiance changing back into a giant sword and came down on him. Its blade cut the car he hit in two and then it changed into two giant fists that punched him hard enough to knock him into a lamp post.

"Could you two focus on the giant rock kicking your asses and not on the creativity of Legos?" Cliffjumper grunted and littered its body with a barrage of rapid fire plasma blasts that chipped at its stony form. The Radiance formed a shield to better defend its core and pushed forward, slamming into the red Autobot. "Scrap!"

"I got you!" Bumblebee jumped in and helped Cliffjumper push against the shield. The dolem forced itself forward, but the two Autobots held it in place, though they were losing ground. "Moonracer, hit it!"

"I'm on it, I'm on it!" Moonracer focused her laser sights on the golden core behind the dolem's shield form and pulled the trigger seconds before it changed form again. The plasma bolt shot through the air and hit the golden orb just as it tried to attack Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, blasting off a large chunk of it.

The dolem staggered and froze, red sparkles spewing from the cracks in the orb. She reloaded and fired another shot at the core, which caused it to explode. The Radiance gave a very human-like scream as its jade pieces froze and then started to break apart, no longer animated by its core. Moonracer cheered.

"Woohoo! How do you like that, you stupid rock?" She hollered.

"Nice job, Moonracer!" Cliffjumper called up to her.

"Prowl, we've destroyed our dolem." Bumblebee reported. "How are things back at base?"

"The children might have found a way to find Prime's location through the lingering energy traces left behind back at Ginza. They're searching the globe as we speak." Prowl answered. "Rodimus and Ironhide's teams have also killed their dolems too and are moving to assist the others."

"We'll head over to assist Bulkhead's group in the Arctic. I imagine they're not having an easy time fighting the dolem and the Cons."

"Copy that, we'll…" Prowl trailed off and went silent for a few minutes, making Bumblebee worry.

"Prowl?"

Prowl spoke up again, his voice tight. "All units not engaged with the enemy, return to the Ark at once. There's been a new…development."

"There's always something, isn't it?" Moonracer sighed.

XXXXXX

The arena Optimus was brought to looked different than the last one-though it was far larger and its architecture more ornate. The exterior walls were organic-a form of durable, super hard bone-like shell that was smooth and pale ivory in color. Tiers that held the audience members rose from the floor of the arena in whorls that swirled gently around and upward, ringing the entire interior of the cone-shaped, mile-high structure. The arena's flat battlefield was also formed of the same bone-like substance.

Optimus had been led here not long after the last battle. Jazz accompanied him as far as the doorway before he was blocked off; a backup, perhaps, in the event that the primary combatant proved inadequate to the task of providing suitable entertainment-or so Prime surmised.

As typical of the Cardinal's arenas, the battle area was sliced in half-each half separated by a semi-invisible force field. Those same force fields also protected the audience from collateral damage that might result from the mayhem of the arena floor. Optimus heard the rumble of a thousand beings, yet the audience didn't cheer or applaud wildly. Rather, the beings who watched emitted a steady rumble that sounded like a single tense and angry murmur.

With Optimus faced was a Brave, a large, hunchback dolem with a cherub's face and a disproportionately muscular body. Optimus had fought this creature before, but this Brave looked different-it was taller, with the face of an old man instead of a cherub sporting a golden crown on its head. Muscles bulged with veins of red ore pulsating with power and somehow the creature looked even more unnatural to Optimus. It's golden eyes followed Optimus's every move as he stopped in front of the dolem and Optimus stared right back at it.

"You are the blasphemer." The Brave said, to Prime's surprise. Its voice came not from its mouth, but from a grotesque opening under its neck. The voice's tone was laced with contempt and loathing. "I am to destroy you."

"You can try." Optimus said.

"Five days of combat, five deaths to mark my flesh." The dolem hummed.

Only then did Optimus see the five gold halos hovering behind the Brave's head, which were all overlapped to form a single ring-each a badge of honor that marked an arena kill.

Suddenly the sound of trumpets filled the arena-what passed for fanfare music to the dolems.

The Brave was armed with only a massive double-bladed axe made of solid gold and crackled with energy. It swung its massive weapon expertly before pointing it at Optimus. Prime was given his own weapon, a beautifully forged golden sword and a jewel encrusted shield by one of the Jos. Now fully armed, both combatants stood on opposite ends of the force field, under the shadow of Lustitia.

The Cardinal's voice filled the arena. **"I am the judge of the games and it is my duty to announce the rules of engagement. The golden axe can cut through any substance save the sword and shield the Autobot holds. And the Autobot's sword and shield can cut any object save the axe."**

The crowd's angry murmur grew in intensity.

"**The combatants will begin on equal footing," **Lustitia continued. **"But the longer the contest continues, the more obstacles will be thrown at the combatants…"**

The roar of the crowd became deafening, but only Optimus understood the true context of the Cardinal's announcement: the longer the fight lasted, the worse things would get for him.

"**Let the contest begin." **Said the Cardinal. Suddenly the force field that separated Optimus and the Brave vanished.

With a roar, the dolem charged.

The attack was calculated enough to Optimus off balance, and it did. The Brave led with a quick swing of its axe, slashing it at surprisingly fast speeds. But Optimus jumped over the axe and kicked the Brave in the face. The blow was strong enough to send cracks along the side of the dolem's face, staggering it only for a moment before it roared and swung down on Prime. Optimus landed on his feet and met the attack with a slash of his sword.

The weapons met with a reverberating clang of metal and a burst of sparks. Muscles strained and servo-motors ground as monster and machine strained to gain the upper hand. Glaring into the Brave's eyes, Optimus dropped his shield and raised a large fist, smashing it into the Brave's face. There was a loud crack as his punch actually knocked a large chunk of the dolem's face off, and Optimus pulled his arm back to punch it again. When he went for a third punch, the Brave spun away to avoid taking more damage.

Optimus ran forward and spun around to swing his sword in a wide arc towards its neck. The Brave raised its arm to block the blade and quickly circled around Optimus in just a few steps. It gave him a rumbling chuckle.

"You worthy foe." It said. "A machine with warrior's spirit."

"This fight is pointless." Said Optimus. "We should not fight for the pleasure of the Cardinals."

"I fight for crusade, machine." The Brave replied. "I fight for Goddess, and that is never pointless!"

The Brave charged at him and punched its massive arm forward, but Optimus was ready this time. Spinning around the fist, he slammed his elbow into the Brave's nose before leaping back to avoid its other hand. He side-stepped another swing of its axe and leapt onto its shoulders, slamming his shield into its face with enough force to shatter its left eye. The Brave stumbled back and fell to the ground, while Optimus jumped off and landed on his feet.

Suddenly a steady hum beat against Optimus' audio receptors, flooding his brain. Through an electronic haze of static, the Autobot gladiator could see the antennae array generating the force field begin to tremble and glow. Above the tallest spire, a whirlwind of crackling power began to form-a magnetic storm!

The energies crackled and surged around Prime's body. His limbs became sluggish, as his cybernetic nervous system was assaulted by powerful beams. It was like the blast of a hundred null rifles, all set on stun. The magnetic energy that whirled around Optimus didn't cause any harm-they only caused his cybernetic synapses to misfire, and mechanical systems to weaken and slow.

The advantage now belonged to his opponent, and the dolem quickly exploited it. Throwing a punch at Optimus, it scored a devastating blow to his body, sending him flying back into a wall. Optimus hit the ground and rolled onto his back with a groan, forcing himself to move, staying along the edge of the arrays in the center of the arena as the magnetic storm intensified.

Putting the central arrays between himself and the magnetic storm, Optimus ducked to avoid another bolt fired from the energy cloud-just in time too, for the Brave was back, striking at the Autobot leader with his axe. Optimus bent down low and felt the air whoosh past his head as the axe sailed over his helmet. It wasn't until he took a couple of steps back that he realized that he was able to move freely.

'I'm free?' Optimus wondered. 'How?'

The answer was hammered home quickly. The field of energy still swirled, but Optimus saw that it remained on the other side of the antennae.

'I must be out of the magnetic storm's range!' He thought. Then he realized that he could exploit that mechanic.

The Brave barked and grunted. "Afraid to fight?"

Optimus chuckled, and his amusement was no feigned. Now he had a plan to defeat his opponent. He only had to implement it to achieve victory.

"I have already won this contest, dolem." He announced. "You're just too stupid to know when you've lost."

The Brave was angered by the insult, just as he planned. It charged at Optimus again, swinging its axe wildly. Instead of dodging, Optimus ducked low and thrust his sword into the Brave's belly. The dolem, still surging forward, flipped over the Autobot and landed on its back-right in the center of the magnetic storm.

Optimus watched as the Brave's axe attracted bolts of lightning still flashing out of the center of the storm. Optimus held out his own sword to attract the bolts until its blade glowed with heat and power, and stabbed the sword into the Brave's chest. There was an explosion of sparks and fire as the Brave howled.

Pulling the sword out, Optimus stabbed it once more into the dolem, piercing hard stone and ore veins, ripping through its back to bury the tip into the bone-hard surface of the arena. The debilitated Brave struggled, but was pinned like an insect to the arena floor. Planting one foot on the Brave's chest to hold its writhing mass in place, Optimus picked up the large golden axe. The dolem writhed and howled in agony as Optimus lifted the axe over his head-

And waited.

"**Why do you hesitate?" **The Cardinal demanded. **"The victory is yours. Make the kill."**

"I will not." Optimus said confidently. To kill in wartime was one thing, to take life when it was the only way to stop an enemy-that he could accept. But never for sport. "Find our amusement elsewhere."

"**As you wish." **

Suddenly, one of the human spectators cried out in alarm as invisible pincers yanked her high into the air, holding her tightly by her midsection.

"Wait!" She screamed. "No, I have a family, don't-"

The pincers snapped shut with sharp hiss, spewing gore and a rain of blood over the heads of the crowd. The two halves of the still twitching corpse tumbled to the ground and terrified people darted like animals to avoid them.

Optimus stared in horror at the wreck that had been a young woman with a life still before her just seconds ago. Her severed spine jutted from her torso, and entrails uncoiled and slowly snaked out from her body, slippery and eager to greet the open air.

"**Kill them." **Lustitia said.

Started back into the moment, Optimus registered the Cardinal's an instant too late. Before he could react, five more people from the swelling, huddled mass of hostages were hauled into the air by invisible forces. Crackling lattices of energy whipped through them, slicing off heads, arms, hands, legs, and feet. This time a crimson tide washed over the closest humans and body parts flopped down onto the rightfully terrified crowd.

"**All of them next." **Lustitia said wistfully. **"Your choice."**

Optimus panicked. Of course his mind rebelled at the idea of being made a slave of the dolems, a granting them this pleasure, but those people-

"Coward!" The Brave hissed, lunging at Optimus. Prime's reflexes were like lightning as he brought the axe down its head, splitting its skull open. It died immediately, the glow fading from its eyes and its body slowly breaking apart into dust.

Optimus looked to the shaking, frightened herd of humans, many of whom were frantically tearing off their blood sullied clothing, modesty be damned, or clawing at their hair to rid themselves of flecks of brain and bone.

"**That will do."** Lustitia said. "**Optimus Prime is the victor. To the victor go the spoils."**

Optimus felt a sudden and unnerving sense of strength and well-being flooding through him, and he wavered for a second, overwhelmed by the sensations. Was that his reward? The last explosive energies of his dying opponent?

The thought sickened.

Tossing the axe away, Optimus Prime trudged toward Jazz. He was unable to block out the screams of derision, of just rage and misery directed his way by the traumatized humans. He said nothing to them. What could he say?

"Optimus," Jazz inquired softly, just now getting over the shock of that horrid sight. "You okay?"

"…No, Jazz, I'm far from okay." Optimus said, only now aware of his body covered in the red dust that spewed from the Brave's split head.

Optimus looked up at the floating form Lustitia, soul-weary, but determined that no further innocents would die to this alien monstrosity…determined he would have his vengeance on the dolems.

* * *

**And so we're introduced to the big bad behind the scenes, and Optimus is already done with its crap. Also, I forgot to mention that this story takes place six**

**months after Escalation, which takes place three weeks after Awakening. I'm already halfway done writing chapter 26 and things get tense, let me tell you**

** this! Be sure to check out the Transformers Titan website on Wordpress. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review. **


	3. The Day Terra Stood Still part 3

Chapter 3-The Day Terra Stood Still part 3

It was a small moon, or at least something as close to it as possible. A giant spheroid hovering a thousand kilometers off the ground composed of a mixture of ivory and onyx in a zebra-stripe pattern. It had to be a forth of Luna's size, but still large enough to cast a large shadow across the Anean landscape below. And it was moving very slowly.

Even Soundwave found it hard to conceal his surprise. Where had this thing come from? Why are they now just discovering it? They had only just now come across this massive object following a trail provided by Gandiva, which began emitting an energy signature similar to the one in Ginza. For him and Nightshade, who've had the most experience with the dolems, this was only mildly surprising, but for everyone else, they were completely dumbstruck.

"How is this possible?" Dreadwing gaped. "There is no force on this world, human or esper, capable of such feats of magnificent power."

"Welcome to the weird world of the dolems." Leader-1 sighed. "This is what we've had to deal with for a year."

"I'm beginning to hate this planet more and more." Thundercracker said. "Is Megatron really in that thing?"

"That's what we're going t find out." Nightshade said with a grim expression. She wasn't looking forward to fighting another Cardinal. "Soundwave?"

"I cannot detect Megatron's presence in the object. Something powerful is blocking my senses from penetrating the exterior, even with my enhanced sensory apparatus." Soundwave said. He was hooked up to a machine that increased his outlier abilities and widened his range of field, but it didn't do him any good against dolem sorcery. "We will have to go on instincts in order to deduce if Megatron is there."

"Oh boy." Skywarp groaned. "That's the last of us any of us want to hear from you."

"Nightshade?" Ravage looked up at the lieutenant. "It's your call."

Nightshade glared at the image of the striped orb that was moving at a snail's pace over the savanna. The structure was probably large enough to hold over a thousand dolems and would no doubt be heavily defended. As strong as their aerial firepower was, that thing probably had at least a hundred ways to shoot them down. But Megatron was there, she knew it, and they had to take the risk.

"Soundwave, have Darkshadow's team break off from the Autobots and return to the Nemesis." She ordered. "We're attacking that stupid globe and getting our leader back."

XXXXXX

The Autobots, at least those that weren't still fighting the dolems across the country, stared at the images on the screen in the Ark's command center. It didn't take long for the separate teams to hone in on the Radiances' weak point. Once they were finished, they immediately retreated back to their ship to deal with the latest crisis to plague the world in twenty four hours.

"Just when you think you couldn't hate them anymore, they pull this scrap." Bulkhead grumbled.

"What the hell?" Rodimus said. "Where did that thing come from? Was is just hovering there this whole time?"

"Probably, and we were just seeing it because they want us to see it." Prowl said. "That sphere must be where they're operating from."

"How did you guys find it?" Hound asked.

"You can thank the children and Minicons for that." Wheeljack said. "They used the energy samples I got from Ginza and used it to follow the trail around the world to their base. That thing popped up just seconds after they located its position."

"Nice work." Sideswipe grinned. Sunstreaker merely scowled at the mention of the children.

"So far, no alarms or flags were raised thanks to its invisible footprint. It's nowhere near any human settlements, so aside from us and a few government officials from Osea and South Anea, the public is blissfully ignorant for now." Barnett said.

"Good. We don't want another panic on our hands." Prowl nodded. "And now that we know where the dolems are hiding, we need to work on a rescue plan. It's not just our Autobots in there, but Nipponese citizens as well."

"Couldn't we just bust in from the bottom and have our flyboys do a quick search to see where they are?" Rodimus suggested.

"That's…an actually sound idea, Rodimus." Tomahawk smiled.

"Why do you sound surprised?" He pouted.

"Yes, that seems possible. A grid search of the object could help expedite our search." Prow agreed.

"But we'll need to be quick. I get the feeling that as soon as we break into that sphere, the Cardinal's going to know we're there and raise the alarm." Arcee said.

"Our window is small, but we still have the initiative. Let me plan out our attack strategy before we mobilize." Prowl told his team. "We have to retrieve our comrades and those people, if we fail, humanity will have more than the Decepticons on their plate."

XXXXXX

The energy sphere pulsed in a heartbeat rhythm; now flashing sapphire blue, now crimson, now back to blue again. The strobing light reflected off Jazz's armored body, washing him in color, leading him once more through the dark corridors that tunneled through the dolem's world.

The corridor's rocky, ore-ridden walls were a miner's wet dream, with pieces of various ores and precious metals growing from the ground and walls like weeds in great abundance. Jazz felt as if he were passing through the bowels of the earth instead of the lair of some eldritch horror.

"Beachcomber would gouge his eyes out in this place." He said, his words bouncing flatly off the walls, dying down on the sculpted floor. "Swerve would set up a studio in a place like this."

And that maniacal barbarian king Galvatron would have saluted the dolems for their ultimate coliseum.

The energy sphere dipped and turned, followed a series of paths, until the corridor finally fed into a much larger version of itself. Jazz stepped into the new corridor to see two energy spheres hovering side by side, pulsing out of synch, one speeding up to match the other.

"Jazz! Man, is it good to see you!"

Armorhide waited in the corridor, his shoulder-mounted ion-charged dispenser cannon retracted onto his back, hands clenching and unclenching in nervous repetition. His red and blue armor changed to different hues as the energy spheres continued to race through their color shifts.

"Armorhide! Optimus and I wondered where they kept you."

The cadet recoiled from the question. "In a cage. A tower cage. I…woke up in Rodion, or at least I thought I was Rodion, and then I watched it die again. Megatron was there, and he led the charge while I was forced to watch. I was reliving the whole experience, Jazz."

Blue. Red. Blue. The two energy spheres pulsed in concert and merged, becoming a single sphere of no greater intensity or speed. Simply a beacon, and now only one was necessary to show the Autobots the way forward. It moved along, and Jazz and Armorhide followed.

"It's alright, kid. The dolems…they have a way of getting into your head and sing your insecurities against you. Something about us makes them go into a rage and hunt us down with little regard for their own safety."

"I saw Megatron." Armorhide repeated. "He was enjoying the fun while I was forced to watch. I want to tear that smirk off his face so badly…"

"You'll get that chance, Armorhide, but later, dude. Later." Jazz placed a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder. "If this is like before, one of us will be forced to fight, while the other is forced to watch. Optimus already had his battle and he won, with me seeing the whole thing. That's how things go around here. We'll have no choice." That wasn't entirely true. They had a choice, didn't they? "The Cardinal will put people in danger-kill them-if we choose not to participate."

And people could like die during the contest as well. Learning when to sacrifice the few for the many was the kind of decision Optimus had to make all the time. It was a skill Jazz might have to utilize as well. Soon. Whether he wanted to or not.

Armorhide perked up. "Optimus Prime. Is he alright? When we were taken, he looked like hell. Megatron nailed him pretty good."

"Boss bot recovered quickly," Jazz assured the other mech. "With the dolem's assistance."

Jazz didn't realize it until now, but for some reason, so many of their internal functions seemed to work better in the dolem's presence, in fact. Jazz felt stronger, faster…wiser? He hoped son.

"People." Armorhide picked up on Jazz's earlier statement. "So these dolems, they took the humans as well. Then maybe Megatron is here and I wasn't looking at some illusion. Maybe we'll get the chance to face him."

Jazz hoped not. Not until Armorhide had a chance to calm down, to collect himself. "We will be finding out soon, I think." Noting that the energy sphere had finally led them up to the massive doors which opened onto the battledome. Both mechs waited, staring at the polished steel. Then the energy sphere pulsed once more, bright crimson, and then winked out of existence just as the door's seam split down the middle and let in a shaft of normal light.

The light fell across Jazz's face, opened wider to cover his entire chest and Armorhide's face which looked over his right shoulder. With a dull grinding sound, the doors rolled all the way back until light poured into the dark corridor, reflecting off silvered servos and gears, warming painted armor. With combat instincts on high, Jazz and Armorhide stepped forward through the opening.

The battledome stretched out before them.

XXXXXX

Prowl's plan was about as basic as they can make it in a situation like this. An aerial team consisting of Skyfire, Tomahawk, and the children (who insisted on joining the mission), would attack the sphere from above to gain entry. A ground team consisting of Ironhide, Bulkhead, Hound, Wheeljack and Rodimus would attack the sphere from below to gain entry while most of the heat would be on the aerial team. Prowl will run things from the Ark with the other Autobots in reserve.

"This isn't a first strike on the dolems. This is a rescue mission. Our first and only priority is getting Prime, Jazz, Armorhide and the humans out of there first. Getting them out of the line of fire is paramount." Prowl said during the mission briefing. "Once the targets are clear, then we work on taking out the dolems and the Cardinal afterwards."

"What about Megatron?" Ironhide asked. "Don't tell me we gotta save him too."

"He's definitely not on the list, and I imagine the Cons already have plans to rescue him as we speak." Prowl looked to Barnett. "Barnett, we're counting on you and the Anean military to be on standby to provide support and keep the media from finding this out. The last we need is a panic about more aliens attacking Terra."

"I already have the ARA contacting the Anean military for possible combat and hostage retrieval. Medical teams are standing by in case any of the humans need medical assistance." Barnett said. "But that also goes for you guys. Watch yourselves. I mean it."

Prowl gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, Barnett. We do stuff like this literally every day. You should be praying for the other side."

When the operation began, Skyfire and Tomahawk grouped up with Darren, Annie and Gina in their talos. They flew in formation from the north, descending upon the sphere that hung over the Savanna like a miniature moon. As they got closer, they could feel the energized atmosphere lick at their armor and bodies.

"Wow," Annie said as they passed over the sphere. "Looks bigger in person."

"Focus up, guys, we have a job to do." Tomahawk said.

"On my mark!" Skyfire said, and the five flyers took aim at the sphere. "Fire!"

They shot at the sphere with a barrage of missiles and beams, all of which hit the top of the sphere directly. Obviously they couldn't miss a target that big, but what they weren't expecting was for their attacks to just…disappear into the surface of the sphere. It was as if they were swallowed by water with little more than a ripple, and no explosions could be seen inside or outside.

"That's…not supposed to happen, right?" Darren asked hesitantly.

"Um, guys, we've run into a little problem here." Skyfire said.

Down on the ground, Ironhide answered Skyfire's call, looking more and more agitated every second. "Does it involve our attacks being swallowed up by the stupid thing?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"How do you think?"

The ground team attacked the sphere with everything they had, but their attacks weren't doing any damage. Missiles, bullets, laser blasts, they were all completely useless!

"This isn't doing us any good." Rodimus said. "Prowl, the sphere is completely unaffected by our attacks. I don't know how they're doing it, but-"

Rodimus grunted as Bulkhead grabbed his arm and pulled him back as a light spear shot up from the ground and nearly impaled him. The Autobots backed away as the sphere's massive shadow expanded, growing almost twice the size of the sphere itself. From the shadow, multiple Affinities, Braves, and Inspireds rose from the ground like plants and started attacking the Autobots.

"Enemies sighted!  
Ironhide shouted, firing his cannons at the Affinities that began to swarm them. Two dozen Braves charged at them in a mad stampede with their massive axes. The bird-like Affinities and the serpentine Inspireds flew after the aerial team, attacking them with thin but power beams of light. The two Autobot flyers and the three humans broke apart and began fighting back, zipping through the air to avoid being separated and attacked all at once.

"Damn it, why can't everything just go the way we want it to!" Skyfire whined.

"Because you're Autobots. If you're still whining about that, then find another job!" Annie shouted.

XXXXXX

Armorhide had some idea of what to expect after Jazz's description. Like Optimus, they were escorted into a massive arena that was dome-shaped, a smooth shell of pale ivory that was no doubt thick and very hard. The battlefield door was the same, smooth and unbroken, looking like it was paved with the ones of a thousand dead. A million dead.

A semi-visible force field protected the audience who sat in tiers that rose in a delicate whirl around the inside of the mile-high dome. The cheers of the man dolems in attendance assaulted Armorhide like one loud continuous shout of anger, wrapping his mind in a dark veil he could not dislodge. It sent strength surging through his systems, raw and powerful, and yearned to move and fight and break…who?

His answer came in the form of a massive creature standing at least thirty feel tall. It was purple and black with a serpentine body tipped with an arrow-shaped head with two beady eyes on the sides of said head. Long purple tentacles cracked like whips against the ground, leaving faint scorch marks on the stone. This was another one of the dolems' abnormal pet monsters.

"Now, as someone who has been around the galactic rim a few times, I'm inclined to accept all manner of appearances." Jazz said, taking out his photon rifle. "But you…you're just butt ugly all around."

"Jazz." Armorhide sighed.

"**Autobots, you opponent will be out second warrior of light, Shamshel." **Lustitia said. **"You will be granted access to your weapons in this match. Do not hold back."**

'What's it trying to do here?' Jazz wondered. 'Dragging us into these pointless battles. What's it trying to learn about us?'

"**And to ensure that you are cooperative this time…"**

A sphere of bright crimson energy appeared over the captured humans. Four more appeared at strategic placements around the arena, spinning whorls of energy that hovered only fifteen feet above the floor.

"**Begin."**

And not knowing what else to do, Armorhide ran for the far side of the dome, disperser rifle laying down cover fire while he sought to put some distance between himself and Shamshel. Two bursts of the rifle's blue lightning leapt wide from Shamshel, pulled toward one of the crimson energy spheres. It ricocheted the shots, like a perfectly reflect surface might return a laser, bouncing the first one toward the caged humans. The force field protected them hissed and spat, but held. This time.

The second bolt of lightning bounced off the sphere at a different angle, throwing it straight back at him!

Nowhere else to go, Armorhide spread himself full length over the arena floor, scraping along and then rolling off his left shoulder up into a ready crouch. The energy stream blasted against Armorhide's right side, his tough armor taking the brunt of the blast, sheering a chunk of his metal skin, knocking him off his feet and away from the creature. He landed hard and only a few hundred feet from where a lone human woman ran a wide berth around the arena hazard, trying to gain the relative safety of one of the tight knots of people.

Armorhide was staring right at her when a large fragment of his armor fell from the sky, landing right in front of her. The fragment bounced and spun, catching the woman in the head and shoulders. She felt ten feet through the air and landed in a crumpled, lifeless pile.

Armorhide did not know who to blame. The dolems. Fate. Himself. The hapless victim died for no reason.

Jazz took no notice of this, running forward and dodging the whipping tentacles of Shamshel and firing a burst of light from his photon rifle. It hit Shamshel's chest and it recoiled back in pain, slashing at Jazz, who jumped over its tentacles, but fired a purple laser from its third eye atop its skull. Jazz avoided the beam just barely, but it hit one of the crimson spheres, violently hitting and dispersing the energy. The humans inside recoiled as the walls of their cage crackled like a tesla coil. The field crackled and shimmered, and nearly collapsed. People shrank away from the walls. Pit held, though dimmed and obviously weakened. It might be able to take another blast, it might not. The caged humans rallied and shouted their curses on Armorhide and on Jazz, disparaging both and at the same time encouraging one or the other victory over the creature.

For all his study on human culture, Jazz doubted that he would ever truly understand humans.

Hoping to catch Shamshel's attention, Jazz transformed into his alt mod, a white sports car with blue and red markings. Using his 180 d8 stereo speakers, and his front grill beacon, he created a light and sound show that disoriented Shamshel for only a moment-Armorhide rushed in and started peppering the creature's tough hide with electrostatic bursts, staying clear of its failing tentacles. Jazz kept his up until he saw the effect his "special effects extravaganza" was having on the humans and desisted, quickly changing back to robot mode.

The second he did, Shamshel rushed forward, ignoring Armorhide and firing its beams at Jazz. The white Autobot ran a slanted path away from the human bystanders trying to draw attention away from them. It kept attacking until Jazz paused to fire his rifle, where it also chose to fire its beam. The attack caught Jazz high in the left arm, spinning him around and throwing him roughly to the ground. A tentacle wrapped around his leg and pulled him into the air, slamming him into the hard ground a couple of times before throwing him at Armorhide. Both mechs collided and were thrown farther back into the dome.

Shamshel immediately turned its attention to the humans, slithering towards them and slamming its tentacles into the ground, leaving scorch marks behind where it struck. The humans panicked and screamed, calling for the Autobots to save them. Shamshel ignored their cries as it slashed the cage with its whips repeatedly, slowly whittling away at the energy field that was already weakened. Shamshel's focus was so intent on the imprisoned humans that it didn't notice the axe flying at it until the blade buried itself in its back.

"Don't forget about me, you freak!" Armorhide charged at Shamshel, firing his disperser. Two blasts caught Shamshel in the head before the monster spun around and cracked its tentacle at Armorhide's legs. His left leg got a deep cut and he staggered, allowing for the other tentacle to ensnare him around the neck and drag him in.

"That's right," Armorhide grinned. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"

Shamshel stared into Armorhide's face with dead eyes as it prepared to fire its beam at point blank range into the Autobot. As it charged its energy up, Jazz leap on its back and stabbed his combat knife into its skull. Shamshel reared back with a shriek, its beam missing and tearing a hole into Armorhide's shoulder instead. Dropping the Autobot, it thrashed around trying to dislodge Jazz, but the mech dug his blade deeper until he knew it was buried deep into its brain. Shamshel spasmed for a moment and fell forward, falling to the ground and flinging Jazz off.

"And stay down." Jazz breathed and fell onto his back. He looked up at Armorhide, who limped over to him. "You okay, Hide?"

"Still alive, sir." Armorhide helped Jazz to his feet. "And the humans are alright, too. Most of them."

Jazz looked over at the caged humans and saw them cheering for them, calling them their champions. They seemed to have already forgotten about the three people they failed to save as their bodies were surrounded by lattices of blue and crimson light, and incinerated on the spot. They were completely forgotten.

They had to be forgiven for this, Armorhide knew. They were only human after all. That was the Terran phrase, wasn't it? Or did their reactions stem from something deeper, more primal, something savage that was being brought out of them here, by the dolems themselves?

It brought a bad taste to Armorhide's mouth, but right now he couldn't do much but follow the energy sphere back to his cell with Jazz. He hoped that he had at least one chance to kill Megatron. How satisfying it would be to leave the warlord's corpse in this god forsaken hell. And once that's done…he'll work his way up to the Cardinal itself, and show the monster what happens when you mess with the Autobots!

XXXXXX

When Nightshade exited the ground bridge with the Seekers in tow, she somehow found it in herself to still be surprised. She was expecting the Autobots to have made their move at a faster time than the Cons in order to retrieve the humans, she just wasn't expecting to see that the alien sphere wasn't being effected by any attacks thrown at it. At least that was something.

"There goes my idea." She muttered.

"Lieutenant," Dreadwing said. "New orders?"

"…Help the Autobots fight off the swarm. I'm going to try to find a way to crack that stupid egg." She said. Nightshade took out Gandiva and fired an arrow that destroyed a cluster of Affinities attacking Skyfire's team.

"We got Cons!" Bulkhead yelled, bracing for an attack from behind. He was a bit confused to see the Seekers not even bothering with the Autobots as they attacked the dolems instead. "Huh? What're they doing?"

"Getting our leader back, fatty!" Skywarp said, gunning down everything in his path. "What else?"

"Don't get too comfortable with the extra hands. Once we have Megatron back, you bozos are on your own!" Thundercracker aid.

Thundercracker increased his speed and shot into the large group of dolems like an arrow, moving up to Mach 2 speeds and propelling himself with a powerful sonic boom that blasted them all away with a wave of pure force. Ironhide jumped back to dodge a Brave's big, burly fist as it tried to grab him and shot it in the face with his laser cannon.

"Prowl, we've got Cons giving us a hand here." Ironhide said.

"_Keep your eyes open, but let them take the load off you guys. Just…try to wither the dolems down as much as possible."_

Prowl gritted his teeth as he tried to think of why their attacks weren't working on the sphere. Barnett had noticed this too and tried to gauge a reason of his own.

"I take it that thing not taking so much as a scratch after getting hit that many times isn't normal?" He asked.

"I knew that the mission wouldn't be that easy, but the dolems still continue to surprise me. The dolems harbor powers that far outclass anything we have, and some would even call it magic. And they make good use of their abilities." Prowl frowned. "Those dolems definitely came from somewhere inside the sphere, so what am I missing here?"

XXXXXX

It was Megatron's turn to fight in the arena this time. As usual, the dome was packed, mostly by low ranking dolems, but also with a small percentage of humans seated in the lower decks, many of them clapping and hollering and cheering as if they were at sporting event. It was no secret that their survival depended on the continued cooperation of the cybertronians, so even Megatron was a hero in their eyes at the moment.

The force field shimmered as Megatron approached it. The arena lights were unusually brighter than usual. So intense was the glare that Megatron was forced to switch his optical wide-spectrum visual filters. Megatron took the time to glare up at the Cardinal floating above them all like the sun, as if they all revolved around it like some god. The arrogance of these beings would make even Starscream blush, and while Megatron would've entertained a mutually cooperation and conquest pact with the dolems in another life, right now he just wanted to kill the lot of them. And as much as he enjoyed the carnage of the arena, he hated being controlled like some puppet. Heaven help them when he got free.

He could feel the limits of the Cardinal's control on him. A certain kind of energy enveloping his form, reaching deep inside his systems, making it impossible for him call upon his fusion cannon or his energo-mace. An attempt to even the odds during the battle…or to make things more interesting, in any case.

There was a glowing glyph that materialized in front of him and from it came a large object, or creature, that rose from the ground on some invisible propulsion force. Megatron blinked as he got a good look at his opponent and wondered if the dolems had tampered with his optics as well.

His opponent was a dolem, but not a standard drone he encountered in the past. It was a giant blue octahedron (two pyramids connected together at the bottom) made of clear blue sapphire. It was 20 feet in height and seven feet long, hovering silent above the ground in preparation for the battle ahead. Megatron had fought his fair share of silicon lifeforms in the past, and he had a feeling his fusion cannon wasn't going to help him much here.

Suddenly the voice of Lustitia filled the arena. **"Megatron of the Decepticons, your opponent shall be Ramiel of the Host. Let the contest begin."**

There was the boom of a gong and Megatron felt the energy restraining his weapons recede. And just in time, as Ramiel's crystalline lattice peeled back to reveal a red orb at its center. The orb glowed and fired a powerful red beam that moved faster than Megatron could process. He had the instinct to jump aside and that saved him from the one hit kill that collided with the energy dome. Even the ground shook from the explosion. Seeing that it missed, Ramiel floated toward Megatron.

Megatron felt as if he was moving in an ocean. His servo-musculature strained a bit as he stood up and saw the dolem approaching. He could see that it was restricted by the increased gravity too, but it only needed to get him in its sights for another shot.

'Frag it all!' Megatron cursed mentally. He collapsed and transformed into tank mode, and pushed his treads to move as fast as they could. His fusion cannon swerved and fired upon Ramiel, releasing bright purple beams of plasma capable of tearing most bots in half.

And it bounced off Ramiel's surface like sunlight off a mirror.

"Damn you!" Megatron shouted.

Ramiel fired another blast, this one coming dangerously close to hitting him. Megatron shot back with one of his own, and got the same result, his fusion blast glancing off its body without so much as a scorch mark. He had to think of something else before he tired himself out, because he was pushing his engine more than he needed to at this point. His best bet was hitting the red gem in its center just as it was preparing to fire. Right…now!

Ramiel's body folded back like an alien origami piece to expose its most powerful and only weapon, charging up for another blast. Megatron waited for the core to be fully exposed before firing his fusion cannon…at the exact same moment Ramiel fired its beam.

In a very rare display even Lustitia wasn't anticipating, the two beams hit each other in the air and created an explosive discharge that blew the two combatants back. The beams seemed to wrap around each other before exploding in a bright burst of colors that forced those with organic eyes to turn away. Megatron wasn't stupid enough to actually attempt to rush in, he'd have no time, but he switched forms and fired his fusion cannon one last time before Ramiel recovered. He grinned as he saw the blast hit its mark once and a glimpse of the orb cracking.

Cracking, but not shattering. It wasn't a killing shot, but it was a mortal one, as Ramiel gave a horrifyingly loud shriek and the right side of its octahedron body morphed into jagged, uneven crystals. In its agonistic throes, Megatron ran forward as fast as his motors could allow and leapt onto Ramiel. The dolem fired its beam, grazing Megatron's side, and spun around to dislodge him. The beam tore a path along the dome, screeching along the energy lattice in a last ditch attempt to kill Megatron.

"That won't save you now!" Megatron shouted, reaching in with his left arm and grasping the jewel at its core. Shifting his arm into a long, sharp blade, Megatron thrust his arm forward and stabbed the blade into the core.

Ramiel screamed again and Megatron barely avoided getting skewered as the dolem lost control of its body and exploded into a mass of jagged crystals. He jumped back as the creature slowly dissolved into dust. Megatron turned to the now silent crowd.

"Well? Are you not entertained?" Megatron bellowed. "Is this now what you wanted? Is this not why we are here?"

Something had come across the crowd, an uneasy feeling that Megatron had missed. He frowned and looked up at Lustitia, whose cherubic face was glancing down at something behind Megatron. Glancing back, he grinned as he saw who his next opponent would be.

"Prime."

XXXXXX

The dolems and the Matrix were connected in some way that Optimus couldn't fathom. The creature regarded the ancient relic with equal amounts of reverence and violent fear, coveting it not for its power, but for what it symbolized-a possible clue to finding their missing "creator" that had abandoned them eons ago. And it was only by chance that Optimus, after running into Jazz and Armorhide in his cell, used the Matrix to force this quintessence ridden environment to bend to his will.

Only to learn that the arena-the entire sphere itself-was just one large dolem. It was full of quintessence and could freely manipulate its internal environment. But if it was like any other dolem, then its powers could be negated by the Matrix. He didn't explain his plan to his comrades, he couldn't risk the Cardinal knowing his plan before he was in position.

"Here you are," The Decepticon leader stood fast, looking ready to fight. "At least, it comes to this. Optimus Prime, you and I-"

Optimus surged forward, not giving his nemesis the chance to finish. With a savage cry of rage, Optimus dug one hand into Megatron's chest and closed the other around his throat. With all his power, he threw Megatron into the air then leapt up after him. Calling upon the Matrix, a shining blue light emanated from his chest, channeling energy into his body. Diving on Megatron, he slammed a fist into the warlord's chest and didn't stop until they crashed into the arena floor. Not only did the Matrix-enhanced punch momentarily stun Megatron, it also sent a surge of purified energy through him and into the ground.

Jazz and Armorhide watched with awestruck faces as blue cracks spread across the floor until it reached all corners of the arena. The dolem audience scrambled back in fear, while the humans watched in shock as the floor shattered like glass, revealing…the outside world.

Then everyone heard the immensely deafening roar of the dolem they resided in-it was in pain.

Seeing the energy spread towards the domed force field, Optimus turned to his troops. "Jazz, Armorhide, retrieve the humans and call for a ground bridge! Go!"

"**YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME!" **Lustitia screeched.

Jazz and Armorhide quickly gathered up the surviving humans and just barely escaped the arena through the hole when Lustitia descended upon Optimus and Megatron like an angry shark.

XXXXXX

Outside, the effects of the dolem's destabilization was immediately noticed by everyone. Instead of the airborne sphere cracking apart, it was it's shadow that had blue cracks spreading across it. Ironhide only spent two seconds being shocked before he got his act together and ordered his team to get the hell out of there.

"What's going on?" Rodimus yelled.

"Don't ask me, kid. Just don't stand near it!" Ironhide said.

From her position in the air, Nightshade was the first to make the connection as she heard a dull groan coming from the shadow. "We were wrong. That shadow is the dolem, and…the giant sphere is it's shadow. All this time we've been fighting a shadow. No wonder we couldn't hit that thing."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Starscream grunted.

"Metaphysical scrap that I honestly can't be bothered to understand further." She replied.

The shadow, now riddled with glowing blue cracks, suddenly shattered like glass and the sphere hovering in the air shimmered and vanished like a mirage. From the ruptured dolem prison came Optimus and Megatron, and behind them was the monstrous form of the Cardinal Lustitia. Its cherubic face was marred by an angry scowl as three tentacles shot out of the mouths of the other faces on its body, snapping at the two leaders. Nightshade wasted no time in sending the Seekers after it.

"Open fire on that monstrosity!" Nightshade yelled.

"You heard her, torch that four faced freak!" Ironhide shouted.

The Autobots and Decepticons converged on the Cardinal and unleashed everything they had on the monster. Lustitia reeled back as missiles, plasma beams, and rockets tore into its body, ripping into it with unrelenting ferocity. Each tentacle was tipped by a gaping maw that fired condensed beams of light. Each beam tore deep gouges into the ground and incinerated everything it touched. The cybertronian factions scattered to avoid the beams before they were destroyed, still trying to attack it.

Lustitia's body was composed of stone and plant biology. Its organic parts, four pulsating hearts, were encased within thin membranes and protected by only thin layers of marble. Once the missile and laser fire did their damage on the main body, blood and other disgusting fluids leaked from the Cardinal's body, and Megatron grinned at its agony.

"No wonder you avoided fighting us. Your body is mostly organic and you lack the firepower of your brothers. So you hide behind that farce of a gladiator match to cull us one by one." Megatron laughed and glared up at Lustitia. "Pathetic."

"**Even now you try to assert dominance over a victory that wasn't started by you. Outstanding, your arrogance truly knows no bounds." **Lustitia replied. **"She was right about you, prideful to the end."**

Megatron fired his fusion cannon. The beam tore a hole in the side of it's main cherub face, and it opened it's mouth to unleash a fleshy venus-flytrap like tentacle at him. Megatron jumped back before it could snatch him up, and the tentacle was blown apart by an energy arrow shot by Nightshade.

"This is what happens when you go on a murderous alcohol fueled rampage." She said.

"Don't start with me, Nightshade." Megatron turned to address his mortal enemy. "Well, Prime, it's been fun but-where is he?"

"Where else?" Nightshade pointed to the top of Lustitia's head, where Optimus was riding like a surfboard firing is ion blaster into the Cardinal's core. The Matrix still glowed within his chest, and he used its power to grant him strength.

"You kidnap innocent people, brutally massacre them to get us to fight and all for what?" Optimus shouted. "What purpose did you have in mind, you sick, twisted creature?"

Lustitia gave a poor, agonized groan as its body started losing altitude, falling toward the ground. Only one tentacle wasn't blown off by the aerial assault, and that was being used to fend off the cybertronians.

"**I wanted to see…what your power was. The power that allowed you to best my brothers, we the blessed children of Jubileus. Such blasphemy should not be possible, but even now it's proving true!" **Lustitia wailed in despair. **"Has my goddess forsaken me? Has the Oracle truly conspired against our glorious race?"**

"Shut up!"

Optimus saw Nightshade fly up to Lustitia's face and pull back Gandiva's string. "Wait!"

She released the arrow and blew a hole straight through the Cardinal's face and into its beating heart-a fatal blow. Lustitia crashed to the earth and slid along the ground, skidding through the rock and dirt for a solid two minutes before coming to a stop. There was still life in it's eyes, which remained on Optimus-or rather, his Matrix.

"**To think, my downfall would be brought about by my beloved Oracle." **Lustitia's eyes dimmed as it said it's last words. **"We may die, but all the universe will come down upon you in vengeance, creatures of metal. Woe unto you for your sins against the Shapings. May the Almighty Jubileus…bless you…"**

The light faded from Lustitia's eyes and it finally died. Optimus felt the Matrix's glow fade as well and sagged in relief. It was over.

Skyfire landed beside him and looked up at the dead Cardinal. "That guy was a dick."

"Skyfire." Optimus admonished.

"What?"

XXXXXX

Jazz and Armorhide had barely managed to evacuate the humans into the ground bridge before the surviving dolems swarmed them. A dozen had died during the evacuation from stray laser fire from the dolems. That totally up to nearly a quarter of the 200 people that were kidnapped alongside them. The people were still asking questions, and the Autobots and world governments could only pretend to act surprised that another alien race dropped in on them. It was that or face even more scrutiny from the already terrified and angry public.

As soon as the Decepticons acquired Megatron, they left the area immediately. Everyone was too tired to continue fighting, and once the dolems vanished following Lustitia's death, all that was left was to pick up the pieces, and for the survivors to cope with the nightmare they just experienced.

"And as usual, we've got Senator Cordell talking shit about the Autobots." Annie sighed. "What a surprise."

"It's not all bad, Annie. At least that reporter lady, Isolde, is spinning the story around to make them look good. Just be glad the world isn't falling to pieces about the dolems." Darren said.

It was almost time for homeroom to start and the children were spending their last few moments of freedom talking about the public reception to the alien abduction that led to almost thirty people dying. These days, talking about the news was all they could do with their diminished role in helping the Autobots.

"How's Armorhide?" Gina asked. "He looked pretty shaken up when they brought him back."

"He's resting. Reliving his home's destruction at Megatron's hands had disturbed him, but he should be fine after some R&R." Darren said.

"That's good. At least someone came out of this mess sane. Here's to keeping Terra from being overrun by an army of the Statues of Davids." Annie joked.

Diana Masters, their homeroom teacher, entered the room and the kids quickly took their seats. "Good morning everyone! Before we start, we have a new student joining us today from Milwouk. I want you all to make her feel welcome and show her how great going to public school is."

Diana waved the new student in and all the boys, including Darren, and even Annie, sat up straighter when they saw the girl walk in. She was tall, about as tall as Gina (which was the first odd thing about her, considering Gina was a child superhuman), and she had long blonde hair with a cute round face and bright blue eyes (with oval shaped pupils). There was a pink jagged scar that ran over her left eye that might've been a birthmark, and her ears were slightly pointed. Darren noticed (not intentionally) that even through her heavy sweater and jeans that she had a toned build like Gina's, but slightly more slender.

'Actually, she looks a lot like Gina, just with longer hair.' Darren thought.

"Hi, my name's Brianna Winters." The new student gave the class a wink, though her eyes were firmly set on Darren. "I hope we can all have some fun together!"

* * *

**That's it for the first three parter of Devastation. Things get really crazy next chapter. I would've gotten this out sooner, but I wanted to finish up writing ****chapter 28 before posting this. It was an intense chapter, let me tell you. Also, my birthday was on the 8th of this month, so I'm 23 years old now! Yay! ****Anyway, be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on Wordpress, directions to the link in my profile. I'm still working on organizing the ****chapters for Transformers: Mosaic, sequel to Distant Stars, so that might take a while to post. And is anyone else having trouble keeping their story thumbnails saved, because the last two stories I posted keep unsaving their pictures, and it's starting to get on my nerves. Like, the thumbnail would just default to my profile pic even though I saved it. Thanks for reading, please leave a review, and have a nice day ****to all of you!**


	4. The Enemy Below part 1

Chapter 4-The Enemy Below part 1

Deep under the Pacific Ocean, an Osean submarine was making a routine sweep of the area. Ever since the dolem incident a week ago, the military powers of the world became more vigilant of strange or unearthly occurrences and events. They banded together to keep an eye out not just for Decepticons, but also other alien sightings to report to the ARA.

As a result of this, powerhouses like Osea and Yuktobania built secret military installations all over the world. Ground troops and talos were always ready to be deployed within a moment's notice. Surveillance drones and military aircraft watched the skies around the clock, while battleships and submarines patrolled the world's oceans. No one, especially Nippon, wanted to a repeat of the dolem nightmare.

Inside the sub, all was calm as it could be in a military deep sea vessel. The crew were at this stations, while the admiral made his rounds in his assessment of the crew. Coming across the sonar team, he noticed one of the officers gazing at a picture of a young boy instead of the radar screen.

"That your son, lieutenant?" The admiral asked curiously.

"Oh! Y-Yes sir!" The officer quickly put the picture away to salute the admiral, earning a chuckle.

"At ease, son." The admiral smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"Sorry, sir. I was just thinking of my wife and son." The lieutenant smiled at the photo of his boy. "I can still hear him going on and on about the Autobots. He really looks up to them as heroes."

"Well, sometimes it takes real heroes down here, looking at a radar, keeping the oceans safe." The admiral said and began walking away. Then a beep from the sonar made him stop in his tracks.

"Sir, we got incoming bogeys!" The lieutenant called out, pointing to the multiple blinking dots on the radar screen. A large cluster of heat signatures were getting closer to the sub. "And they're coming in fast!"

"What? What could be coming at us this deep?" The admiral asked.

"I don't know, sir, but four of them look almost…human!"

Within seconds the heat sigs were inching closer and closer to the submarine and the admiral called for evasive maneuvers. "Brace for impact!"

Everyone went quiet as the bogeys reached their position, and the sub was suddenly rocked violently from something large impacting it. There was a metallic screech and a hiss as the armored hull was torn open.

"Containment breech! We're taking in water!" Someone shouted as water flooded in.

The admiral's breath caught in his throat as he heard people screaming down the hall. Hacking and dying gurgles could be heard as the water around his ankles turned red with blood.

"My god." He gasped and ran to the comm-station to send out an SOS. He barely had time to get the message out before a tall figure walked up behind up, raising a sharp blade.

Blood splattered over the picture of the lieutenant's son as the crew were massacred one by one. No one could hear their screams as the sub sank to the bottom of the dark, murky depths.

XXXXXX

"I need some orange juice." Walter Barnett groaned, rubbing his face.

It was late in the evening at the ARA building at the League of Nations headquarters in New York. Most of the personnel had gone home for the night, but Barnett stayed behind to finalize the report on the dolems for General Abernathy and the rest of the Department of Defense. On his desk was a newspaper that still talked about the Edo hostages and the events they suffered from.

Barnett trudge over to the fridge in the break room and searched for the tangy juice that kept his motors running. He wasn't a coffee person, preferring to spend his mornings tasting something other than stale coffee.

"Orange juice again, Mr. Barnett?" A lovely voice chuckled. "Really, couldn't you just have coffee like us normal people?"

Barnett glanced behind him and smirked. "Coffee only keeps you up for a few hours, Elisa, and my body needs to be running 24/7 when dealing with the Autobots. It's a lot more nutritious too."

Elisa Sampson, a secretary at the ARA, shrugged, tossing her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. She was a lovely young woman who was a classic beauty, with long curly hair that reached her shoulders and a voluptuous form that her professional blouse and skirt only accentuated. She also had the brains to match her beauty, and her wit earned her a place at the rather odd staff at the ARA.

"Working with the Autobots must be a stressful job." Elisa said, pink lips smiling softly. "I imagine they're a handful that'll give your gray hairs."

"They're not all that bad. Sure dealing with a faction of giant robots is stressful, but it's no more hazardous than listening to politicians rant about deporting espers from the country. Just don't stand near their guns." He smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind." She replied. "Say, have you heard about that submarine that sunk in Ceres Ocean?"

"Yeah, a nuclear sub attacked by an unknown enemy force in Europian waters. Not an ideal situation for Osea." Barnett frowned. "Any information on the incident?"

"Nothing, the Navy has no clue as to how the sub was attacked, who attacked, or how such a fast attack was possible at those depths." Elisa said. "Some officials are pointing their fingers at the Decepticons, but after the Edo incident, most people are a bit hesitant to immediately blame the Cons."

"A nuclear sub sunk at the bottom of the ocean unprotected is a nation's worst nightmare." Barnett sighed.

"I know I'm asking a lot here, but is it possible for you to have the Autobots retrieve the plutonium from that sub?" She asked.

"I can put out a suggestion to General Abernathy to give the Autobots the green light to investigate the area, but I doubt the top brass is going to let the Autobots near it." He said. "Decepticons or not, with plutonium involved, a bunch of aliens handling radioactive materials is going to make a lot of people nervous."

"That's a shame." Elisa's full lips pouted at the reply. "Because if someone doesn't retrieve that plutonium soon, then we'll have a crisis on our hands."

XXXXXX

The Deep Sea Discovery, or DMD, was a marine biology research station located inside an underwater trench as far as 1200 feet in the Pacific Ocean. It was a feat of engineer, a host of pressurized domes connected by tubes built along the sea floor to act as an on-site station and lab for scientists and biologist to live and work in.

Wheeljack wasn't the type of mech to stay underwater for long amounts of time. It didn't interest him as much as it did some other Autobots, and there wasn't much to really do with his hands. Still, being invited to the DMD was surprising, but he didn't pass it up. Being this far underwater was a new experience not many people got to have.

The Autobot and his little Minicon partner, Liftor, exited the ground bridge seconds before it was gone. The dome they appeared in was just large enough for Wheeljack to fit in, and thankfully the floor held his weight. Wheeljack gave a little wave for the staff that paused for a moment to look at the two cybertronians in their midst, while Liftor looked around nervously.

"Autobot Wheeljack and Liftor?" A young woman with fair eastern features walked up to them. "Welcome to the DMD. I'm Akiko Nagita, head of the research team for this facility."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Nagita." Wheeljack said cheerfully. "Thanks for inviting us down here. I've never actually been down this far underwater before."

"Really?" Akiko grinned.

"Yeah, never really found the whole marine warfare thing interesting. Seaspray would kill to be in my shoes here." He said.

"Um, Ms. Nagita…" Liftor started.

"Please, just call me Akiko." She said.

"Akiko, um, this place is safe, right?" Liftor asked nervously. "Like, we aren't in danger of the dome bursting or anything?"

"We're always in danger as long as we're down here, Liftor. But don't worry," Akiko gave him a calming smile. "As long as you follow the guidelines, things will go smoothly. That's why we have evacuation procedures and the like."

Liftor wasn't entirely convinced, but he was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt. Wheeljack knelt down over Akiko to talk to her better.

"Thanks for inviting us here, Akiko, but if you don't mind me asking…why exactly are we here?" Wheeljack asked. "We're not exactly marine biologists."

"Well…we called you here for something a little more in your field, to be precise. I won't spoil the surprise, but one of my colleagues believed that having you along might give us some answers."

"Here it comes…" Liftor muttered.

"Will you be able to fit through the doors?" She asked.

"Yeah, just some partial transformations should get me through." Wheeljack said. "Be glad you didn't invite Optimus down here."

Akiko smiled at his quip and escorted the pair over to the sliding doors in the next dome over. Akiko swiped her ID card and entered the room, with Liftor following. Wheeljack had to get on his hands and knees and compress his shoulder armor to his body in a partial transformation to fit through the hatch. It was a tight squeeze, and made quite a sight for the scientists who watched a partially formed car push himself into their research chamber.

Once he was through, Wheeljack changed back and stood up, allowing Akiko to introduce the reason she called them down to the heart of the ocean.

"Wheeljack, Liftor, this is the reason the DMD was formed down here. The heart of all our research." Akiko pointed to the large pool in the middle of the chamber, where numerous scientists in odd looking dive suits poked and prodded at their source of study.

It was a ship. A very odd looking ship. The thing looked about as large as a modern F-35 fighter, but its construction was streamlined and curved for aerodynamics. Wheeljack noted how its armor looked like tightly compressed bone, with a thin layer of…something covering it. The engineer within him flared up and he took a step towards it.

"Akiko, what am I looking at?" Wheeljack asked.

"It's a transport…for use underwater. And it came from right here. It was too heavy to move, so the DMD was built around it, once the images from the undersea drone were confirmed to be real." Akiko answered, smiling a bit at the Autobot's reaction. "It was an almost unanimous decision to request for you two to come here and give us a fresh look on how to go about studying it."

"If you guys think that it's alien, then…I don't know. I've never seen a craft like this." Wheeljack replied. He wanted to take a step closer, but didn't want to overstep himself.

"This doesn't even look that old to be an Arian vehicle." Liftor said, forgetting his nervousness for the moment as the technician in him took over. "Who built it? What does it use for fuel? Does it have a control stick or some other-?"

"Whoa, whoa, we don't have answers to most of those, because we've…" Akiko shrugged. "Actually, we've been totally unable to get inside of it."

"And Osea is heading this project?" Wheeljack questioned.

"No, the DMD is a joint project between Osea and Nippon in a bid to utilize geothermal energy as a viable power source. This was discovered by accident, and we've been working together for a while trying to determine if it's alien…or not." She replied. "In fact, it was Nippon that suggested we have an Autobot on site to give us a hand in studying it."

"Well, I'm not one to turn down an invitation like that." Wheeljack cracked his knuckles and grinned down at her. "So where do we start?"

XXXXXX

"Sir, we've located the ship."

"They haven't moved it?" A deep voice asked.

"No sir. They've built a research station around it. There is a light military presence, but no signs of heavy weaponry we should worry about."

The owner of the voice hummed and rubbed his chin. It was do or die, right now. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Send the Tiger Sharks out. Attack once, then disengage. We'll let the water pressure deal with them."

"Yes, sir."

There was no need to be excessive. Down here the humans had no friends. He needn't bloody his hands when the sea could do it for him. It was a fitting punishment for a race who treated their world with such disgrace.

XXXXXX

Wheeljack didn't think that this underwater excursion would be such a fruitful experience, but here he was, studying what had to be an Arian craft of some kind. Still, something was off about it all. He had seen Arian vehicles before, and they weren't as…fantastical as this.

He sat inside the pool in the research lab where the ship was being held. He ignored the stares of Osean and Nipponese scientists as he poked and prodded the outer layer of the ship to gauge what materials it used in its construction.

'The surface of the craft feels like shark skin, smooth from nose to tail and jagged coming back. Hell, it even looks like a shark's skeleton, or more specifically bone cartilage.' Wheeljack thought. He pushed on the craft's surface and felt it give in slightly to the pressure he exerted on it. 'It bends when I poke it, so it's flexible. All these openings…they're like air intakes in fighter aircraft.'

Wheeljack tapped his chin and stood up, poking his head out of the water and walked over to the scaffolding where Akiko stood.

"What's the diagnosis, doc?" She asked smiling.

"Well, it's definitely a high speed craft. Those openings along its frame are to take in water and push it out through intakes at the other end. Essentially, it flows within water, instead of pushing against it, and leave a minimum wake." Wheeljack said.

"And as for what it is?" Akiko inquired.

"We don't know." Liftor said, climbing out of the pool. "It might be Arian, but scans show that it's only about a year old. This thing was recently built, but it might have some damages that made it inoperable."

"So it isn't Arian." Akiko said, just to be sure.

"Nope, but it's definitely not human either." Wheeljack said and looked at the craft. "And something tells me that it's not alien either."

Before they could continue, red lights started flashing in the domes and alarms began sounding, causing the DMD personnel to panic and run every which way, confusing Wheeljack and Liftor.

"What's going on?" Liftor asked Akiko.

"That's…that's the collision alarm." Akiko muttered, clearly puzzled. "I've heard it before, during the drills."

"I take it you're not scheduling a drill today?" Wheeljack said.

"No, I wouldn't be as concerned if it were." She replied and glanced out the sealed window to the dome. It didn't take long for her to spot a large, cylindrical object shooting through the water at high speeds. "Holy shit, that's a torpedo!"

"It's a what?!" Wheeljack looked up at the dome and saw the torpedo heading straight for them. "Oh scrap!"

"_Attention all areas! We have a torpedo inbound! Stop whatever you're doing and begin immediate emergency evac procedures! To repeat…"_

"Akiko, where's it heading?" Wheeljack asked.

"T-Towards the power generators! It's the biggest heat source down here." She answered. "I need to get to the air lock!"

"You won't make it. That doesn't look like a normal torpedo and the explosion from the generators will cause the cliff we're under to break apart and fall on the station. I can get you all out safely if you just listen to me!" Wheeljack switched his comm to the local channel and prayed that his signal could be heard. "Wheeljack to Teletran, I need a ground bridge on my position stat!"

Wheeljack didn't get a reply back, or if he did, he didn't notice as the torpedo hit the power generators in the dome near the rear of the station. The entire section exploded in a powerful shockwave that rippled through the water, followed by a brief burst of flames and a rumble that made the entire area shake. The nearest two domes were also destroyed in the pressure wave that followed, their shells breached and water rushing in through the shattered composite hulls. The technicians and security teams that were heading to the damaged areas to seal the tubes off were killed by the pressure wave that destroyed their only means of escape and drowned within the next few minutes.

The blast wave from the explosion reached the cliff face that the station was sitting under and caused the rock to break apart like glass. The cliff began to break apart and crumble, large boulders falling slowly onto the domes and smashing through them with ease despite the lack of gravity pulling them down. Everyone within the main dome watched in horror as they fell upon the station, the largest crashing right on top of them. At that moment, the ground bridge appeared next to Wheeljack.

"Everyone get into the portal! Hurry!" Wheeljack urged them.

"Wait, the craft! We can't leave it!" Akiko shouted.

Liftor grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the bridge. "We're all about to die, woman! It'll survive getting a bit wet!" He yelled and they disappeared into the ground bridge.

The DMD personnel scrambled to get down to the portal, but the water had already reached Wheeljack's knees as the dome started to fill up. Wheeljack had to pick up a few stragglers struggling to swim through the water and toss them into the bridge. He knew there were other people in the rest of the station, but there wasn't any time to get them before he was swallowed up by the water too.

"Slag, I'll be crushed by the water pressure down here!" He growled. Giving a silent prayer to the people still trapped in the other areas, Wheeljack ran into the ground bridge and closed it behind him as the entire station flooded with water.

He missed the oddly shaped ship that was watching the tragedy happen before speeding away into the darkness of the ocean's depths.

XXXXXX

"I don't think I need to tell you how bad this is, Prime." Prowl told Optimus upon entering the command center without as much as a "hello".

"Good evening to you too, Prowl." Optimus said, staring at the main monitor. "I understand that the only DMD personnel that survived are the ones standing in the same chamber as Wheeljack when the torpedo hit. Do we have any more intel on that?"

"Wheeljack was mainly concerned with evacuating the humans at the time, but he said that the torpedo didn't look like a regular armament used by submarines or battleships." Prowl said, looking at the news reports of the mass deaths. "Things are frosty between Osea and Nippon right now. Both sides are blaming each other and things might hit cold war territory is something isn't done."

"Our biggest lead to this tragedy is that ship that Wheeljack was called down to study." Optimus said. He brought up photos taken by Liftor. "An undersea vehicle built to streak through the water like a marine fighter jet that is constructed of materials similar to shark skin and cartilage."

"Never seen an Arian vehicle like this one." Prowl remarked.

"Wheeljack doesn't think it's Arian. It was too new to be that old. That ship was recently made, and he suspects that someone doesn't want either us or the humans to learn about it." Optimus turned to Prowl as he said this. "And he believes those very same culprits are the ones who built that ship."

"That's a big assumption." Prowl replied. "Does he have proof to back it up?"

"He wants to go out looking as we speak. I'm coming along, and you are too."

"You, Prime?"

"I believe that the attack on the nuclear submarine and the attack on the DMD are connected in some way, and I want to prove it." Optimus turned the screen off and walked to the door. "We can use the Ark's escape shuttle to search the sunken crash site where the submarine was attacked. It's strong enough to withstand the water pressure."

"I don't recall Agent Barnett giving us the go ahead to go near there." Prowl pointed out, though he didn't refute Prime wanting to go along.

"Time is of the essence. There's a chance war could break out between Osea and Nippon over nothing, while a third party has weapons grade plutonium in their possession. I will not be caught up in human politics this time."

XXXXXX

Twenty minutes later, and Optimus had taken Prowl, Jazz, Ironhide and Wheeljack along in one of the Ark's escape shuttles and took it to the Pacific Ocean, where the first attack on the submarine was reported. Having arrived at the coordinates, the shuttle dived into the ocean, quickly sinking deep underwater towards the undersea trench where the submarine was supposed to have landed.

"I can imagine the scrap that Barnett is going to give us when we get back." Jazz whistled.

"Maybe if they hurried up instead of curtailing we wouldn't be sneaking behind their backs." Ironhide said, piloting the ship through the darkening waters. "I don't care about human politics when there's a war goin' on."

"We can apologize later if we cause any trouble, but time is of the essence." Optimus said. "Wheeljack, how close are we?"

"We're almost on top of the crash site now." Wheeljack said, looking at the shuttle's custom-made radar.

Ironhide maneuvered the shuttle as delicately as he could, keeping an eye on the ship's energy readings to make sure they were in the green. The shuttle was strong enough to withstand reentry, and it could easily dive deep to levels where the water pressure would be dangerous for most undersea vessels, but it never hurt to be careful. Anything could happen in the ocean.

"Okay, we're at the location." Wheeljack told the.

Prowl looked outside and only saw darkness, even with the shuttle's lights on. "I can't see a thing. Wheeljack, run a scan for any radioactive materials that might have…leaked from…"

Prowl trailed off as he saw the pale, bloated body of a woman in a navy uniform slowly float past the window. Then a man. And another man. Optimus and Jazz also went quiet as they saw human bodies floating right past the shuttle like seaweed in an unsettling display. There had to be at least a dozen bodies still floating around in the area already.

"I think we've found the place." Ironhide said quietly.

Optimus took a deep breath to calm himself before having Ironhide lower the shuttle further down to the ocean floor, where he submarine was sitting on a trench mostly intact, with two large gashes along its hull. Jazz grimaced when he spotted what had to be the body of the sub's captain caught on a coral reef growing near the sub, seeing a bloody gash along the man's chest.

"I can tell this mission is going to be depressing." Jazz sighed.

"I'm scanning for plutonium." Wheeljack entered some commands into his console and looked at the radar. He ran a grid scan of the area to search for a possible trail they could take, but the results he got back weren't good. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Prowl repeated, frowning. "What do you mean nothing?"

"As in there's nothing I can detect. No radiation, but fallout, nothing." Wheeljack replied.

"If the plutonium did leaked out from the sub, we'd be swimming in irradiated water by now." Optimus narrowed his eyes as he made a realization. "The plutonium didn't just fall out of the submarine. It was stolen."

"Stolen…by the people who attacked it?" Ironhide said.

"There's a good chance of that after seeing this with my own eyes." Optimus turned to Wheeljack. "Wheeljack, Jazz, you're coming with me to take a closer look at the crime scene."

"Copy that, boss bot." Jazz said.

Before they disembarked into the water, Wheeljack outfitted the three of them with personalized shield generators around their bodies. Though water pressure wasn't too big a danger for them, they were extremely slowed by the water resistance, and the shields would decrease that resistance somewhat to allow them to move at least a fraction faster. Once they were read, Ironhide opened the airlock and the trio dived out into the cold, dark waters.

'It's so cold and dark…was this what their last moments were like?' Optimus thought as they swam toward the submarine. He did his best to ignore the bodies still floating around them as they reached the sunken wreck.

Wheeljack ran his hand along the jagged tear along the sub's hull. It had definitely been torn open by something designed to rip into heavy armor. The cut was clean, with signs of something extremely hot being used to pierce the metal.

"Whoever did this had something hot enough to cut into the armored hull of a submarine." Wheeljack said.

"This far down underwater?" Jazz said.

"Comes to show what we're dealing with." Optimus remarked. He was about to take a look inside the wreck when he got a call from the shuttle. "Prowl, what's wrong?"

"_Sensors are picking up something heading our way at high speeds." _Prowl said. _"You three need to get back to the shuttle, now."_

An energy bolt slammed into the side of the ship, rocking it violently to the left. Optimus and the others took out their weapons as multiple dark shapes surrounded them. The light of the shuttle's lights reflected off metallic armor as the humanoid beings came into focus. They were almost as large as Optimus, and they were covered in armor.

"What are they?" Jazz asked.

"They look like golems, but they're made for underwater movement." Wheeljack observed, keeping his blaster trained on the closest ones.

"Analyze them later, Wheeljack. They're going on the offensive!" Optimus said.

The golems shot forward at the Autobots like bullets, shooting energy beams from their hands. Optimus swam forward and grabbed the nearest one, shoving its ion blaster into its chest and letting off two blasts that destroyed its torso. One golem tried to run him through with an energy blade in its arm, but Jazz bisected it with his vibro-blade while Wheeljack took care of the others with his gun.

"They're fast!" Wheeljack grunted as he tried shooting the golems down. It wasn't easy to hit them as they swam through the water like sharks despite their large size.

"_Prime, get back to the ship! Ironhide can take care of them with the shuttle's weapons!" _Prowl yelled through the ship's speakers.

Prowl and Ironhide were nearly thrown out of their seats as another energy blast hit the ship and nearly capsized it. Optimus looked up and saw three dark gray ships hovering above them. They were triangular in shape and moved through the water with the ease of a great white shark. They surrounded the shuttle and one of them opened up to allow over two dozen small humanoid figures to swim around and surround the Autobots. Optimus got a good look at some of them and saw that their hands and feet, which were exposed, were webbed…and sported greenish blue skin.

"This…took a rather unexpected turn." Optimus admitted.

XXXXXX

The mysterious "fish-people", as designated by Jazz, allowed the three Autobots to board the shuttle before escorting them under heavy guard to an unknown location. Ironhide tried to contact the Ark, but found that they were being blocked.

"Don't bother. I've been trying that since the others got back into the shuttle." Prowl said and leaned back in his seat. "They're jamming us with something very powerful. These guys came here prepared."

"No doubt the bastards were watching the sub for some time now to see if anyone would come sniffing around." Ironhide growled, glaring at the ships surrounding them. "Think we can make a break for it under a smokescreen?"

"Don't try it." Optimus said. "They're positioned in a way that they can light us on fire if we try anything hostile."

"Let's all just remain calm and try not to piss off the mermaids." Jazz said, leaning back in his seat. "Let's see what these people want with us."

"What could a bunch of aquatic primitives, who are probably mechanophoic, want with us? Show us they're vast undersea villages made of corals?" Ironhide grunted, but as the group swam past a towering underwater mountain, he went quiet as he saw their destination. The other Autobots too were also shocked into silence.

It wasn't a primitive village like Ironhide believed-it was an actual city. Resting atop an impossibly massive metallic plate built along the ocean floor, which, by Wheeljack's mental estimates, had to be 1.2 km long, was a full-fledged metropolis that looked surprisingly modern, or close to it as possible. Prowl magnified the images seen and saw men, women and children swimming through what could've been described as an undersea version of New York.

The people were humanoid in form, but they all had fish-like skin and aquatic features such as fins and webbed digits on their hands and feet, wearing loose-fitting clothing. The people would stop and gawk at the massive (for them) Autobot shuttle that was escorted through the city above them.

"This is unreal." Jazz said. "This was down here this whole time?"

"It appears so, Jazz. And from the looks of it, they're more advanced by the humans by a large margin." Optimus said.

He thought back to the massive golem that attacked him and his team during one of their Minicon hunting missions. The machine was fully operational and sported the same markings as the golems that attacked them, so it wasn't hard to realize that they were built by the same race.

The armed escort brought the Autobots to the side of the tallest building in the city. They forced the Autobots to dock, and then disembark from the shuttle, with the humanoid golems standing guard with their weapons ready. Jazz looked at the stern faces of the small humanoids that surrounded them and tried to make a joke to clear the tension.

"As cliché as this sounds," Jazz began, smiling nervously. "Could you take us to your leader?"

"You're right, alien," A firm voice said from the hangar doorway. "That is cliché."

Another person walked into the chamber. He was a very muscular and strong-looking man, with dark blue skin and fins on the back of his forearms and shoulder-blades. He had dark gray eyes and long silver hair. The man wore a more ornate form of the armor that soldiers were wearing, possibly hinting at a high ranking position. Prowl was immediately on guard as he studied this newcomer's expression as he looked up at the Autobots without fear.

"General Killian," A soldier saluted his commanding officer. "Apologies for the commotion, but we found them snooping around the submarine. They-"

"I know what they are." The man named Killian said, studying the Autobots with a shark-like gaze. "Rotate with the next squad, Ohm. You're relieved of your duties for today."

"Thank you, sir." The soldier saluted again and quickly vacated the hangar with his unit. Once they were gone, Wheeljack cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Greetings, um…merpeople. We are the Autobots, and we apologize for intru-"

"We know what you are, alien. We've seen the news. And we were aware of you long before those hairless apes even had an idea of your presence on Terra." Killian said.

"The abandoned city." Optimus said. Killian smirked.

"Come with us. You should be just small enough to fit in the throne room. My queen wants to speak with you, and it's not wise to keep her waiting." Killian nodded to the golems and they ushered the Autobots through the hangar doors and onto a large elevator lift built for robots around the golems' size.

As they were taken to the upper levels of what they assumed were the palace, the Autobots noticed that the interior of the buildings were full of air, despite the city being submerged. The water pressure hardly seemed to bother the inhabitants or cause any strain on the buildings' construction despite the currents and strong tides. Wheeljack was inwardly gushing at the architecture of this place, though Prowl and Ironhide were more wary. Optimus, however, remained calm. It was best to make no hostile movements in this situation.

The lift took the Autobots to the very top of the palace, where they finally came to a stop at the throne room. Like the rest of the city, the throne room was breathtaking. It's walls were bright blue with marble statues standing beside two large doors leading to the hallway. The floor had a beautiful tiled mural of the earth and sea intertwined in a yin/yang pattern. The grandest display was the throne itself, and the woman sitting on it.

"Presenting Queen Tyr Aquarion of Atlantis!" Killian announced and bowed low. Out of respect, Optimus, Jazz, Prowl and Wheeljack also bowed a bit, though Prime had to pull Ironhide down.

Queen Tyr was a beautiful woman with mostly blue skin with green mixed in along her arms and back. Her silver hair was held back by a modest-looking crown of seven jewels-an emerald, a sapphire, topaz, amethyst, ruby, diamond, and a pearl. Her dress was thin and hugged her body, with a deep cut on her chest and slits up the bottom to leave her toned legs bare. In her hand was a tall golden trident with a sapphire stone in the center of the three prongs.

"So you are the famous Autobots the humans revere as heroes." Queen Tyr said, her indigo eyes scanning each Autobot from top to bottom. "I must say, aside from Prime, you don't look as tall as you do on television."

"I'm afraid that human television has a way of making us seem grander than we really are." Optimus said respectfully. "Since you already know me, let me introduce my team. This is my tactician, Prowl; my special operations officer, Jazz; my security officer, Ironhide, and my engineer Wheeljack."

"Welcome to Atlantis, Autobots. I am Queen Tyr, ruler of this wonderful nation you see around you, and this is my military advisor and minister of defense, Killian Galdra."

"A pleasure." The way Killian said it made it clear he thought it was anything but a pleasure.

"Now that we have introductions out of the way, let's get down to business." Tyr said, her eyes narrowing. "What were you doing sneaking around the borders of our kingdom?"

"We did not know we were in your territory, your grace." Optimus said. "We were investigating a disaster that occurred in these waters a week ago."

"You speak of the submarine that trespassed in Atlantian territory." Tyr said.

"Yes," Optimus nodded. "I take it you know of it."

"I ordered that submarine to be sunk." She revealed.

"Why would you do that? They weren't hurting anybody!" Ironhide exclaimed.

"As I said, that submarine was trespassing in our territory, and we exercised our right as a sovereign nation to defend our borders." She replied. "And I don't need a lecture on how to defend my people from an alien who couldn't even save his own world."

Ironhide growled, but Optimus shot him a glare to make him stand down. "Your grace, as much as I disagree with your actions, what's done is done. However, this will only spark retaliation against from the humans of the surface. Attacking an Osean submarine and stealing its plutonium-"

"We did not steal plutonium, Optimus Prime." Tyr said firmly.

"Yet the missiles were stripped of their warheads." Prowl said.

"Are you accusing us of lying, alien?" Killian growled.

"I'm only making an observation." Prowl continued, staring right at Killian. "Your forces attacked the sub, sunk it, and now it's missing its nuclear payload. It's not hard to make the assumption."

"You piece of-"

Tyr slammed her trident on the floor and a metallic burst echoed throughout the chamber. Killian and Prowl went quiet as the queen glared at them both.

"You two will speak calmly or not at all." She hissed. "I will say this once, and only once, Optimus Prime. We did not steal any plutonium. What use would we have for nuclear weapons when our technology is more advanced than the humans?"

"I understand, your grace, but I'm afraid that the humans above will not. More will come down here, and it'll only be a matter of time before a submarine discovers this city." Optimus said. "This situation will spiral out of control if measures aren't taken to at least keep things from escalating to war."

"And what would you have me do?" She asked.

"Introduce your kind to humanity. Show the world that you mean no threat and air your grievances with the nations of the surface world." Jazz suggested. "It's the best way to get your message out there."

"You want me to grovel at their feet and beg them not to retaliate?" Tyr growled.

"No." Optimus firmly said. "Stand before them as a queen."

Tyr leaned back in her throne and thought on his words. "I will…consider it, Optimus Prime. Return to the surface, and tell your leaders of what transpired here. Pray that I come to a decision before the humans do anything…rash."

"Thank you, your grace." Optimus bowed and led his team out, with the golems escorting them back to the elevator lift.

Prowl leaned in towards Optimus and said, "I think we may have just started an international incident, Prime."

"Then that means we're doing our job." Jazz joked, earning a glare from Prowl.

XXXXXX

Later that day, Queen Tyr retreated to the war room, where she spoke with Killian and the other three members of her council. Though Atlantis was ruled by a monarchy, the king or queen was aided by four constables who oversaw the nation's military, economy, science, and health. The queen was currently meeting with the constables to discuss their next move regarding the incident with the Autobots.

"We should have killed them on the spot." Typhos, the constable of science, growled. "Those aliens think highly of themselves to just waltz into our territory and demand answers of us."

"And risk starting a war with the Autobots? Typhos, think for once in your life!" Dyranna, the minister of economy, said. "We may be more advanced than the humans, but that pales in comparison to the cybertronians."

"Doesn't mean he isn't right, though." Killian said.

"You shouldn't be talking, Killian. This all started because you attacked that submarine!" She growled. "Didn't you promise us that nothing would happen? Seems like quite the opposite is happening!"

"Don't question my action to defend our nation from intruders, Dyranna!" Killian replied angrily. "They were dangerously close to one of our outposts, I had to act. At least I'm doing something other than sitting at this table pointing fingers!"

"That's enough." Tyr commanded. The constables went quiet immediately and turned to their queen, who was contemplating something. "Attacking the Autobots without provocation would only invite disaster upon us. We can't act rashly now that the humans will soon know of our kind."

"Are you…really suggesting that we heed the words of Optimus Prime, your grace?" Killian asked with wide eyes.

"It bears the most merit. We are in a position that could decide whether we make peace, or wage war." Tyr said, looking at Killian. "I take it you have something to say to that, general?"

"Your grace, forgive my impudence, but the humans will respond the only way they know how…with violence! They sail their weapons across our seas, pollute our oceans, and demonize members of their own kind just for having different genes." Killian said strongly. "How long will it be before they come down here seeking to annihilate us and pilfer our technology, our science? The remnants of our ancestors!"

"Exactly!" Typhos exclaimed. "We must prepare ourselves and position our forces to destroy the humans, and their alien comrades before they can muster up a counterattack!"

"But if we can reach a diplomatic solution, then we won't even need to fight." Dryanna said.

"What say you, Gawain?" Tyr asked her constable of health and welfare.

Gawain, a slender man with predominantly green skin, a trait common in the city of Lemuria, rested his chin on his fingers and sighed. "The humans are known for being violent, but I believe that if we extend a hand of friendship, any moves made against us will be blamed on the offenders. We must try diplomacy first before resorting to war. That is how we have always done things."

Killian and Typhos glared at Gawain, but Tyr nodded and stood up. "I will deliberate on a decision, constables, but it may take some time. This is a serious matter."

"We understand, your grace." Killian said, though he had a feeling he wasn't going to like the verdict.

XXXXXX

Later that night, Tyr stood in the main hall looking out the window at the vast city before her. Atlantis and its people, the merfolk, were all that was left of an age when the creatures of the land and sea were highly advanced in all fields from science to medicine. A time when the vast cities were scattered across the supercontinent that once dominated Terra's landscape. The merfolk's technology, science, robotics, it was all passed down from the survivors of the natural disaster that nearly destroyed all life on the planet.

Atlantis was an empire that spanned the seven seas, with colonies reaching the deepest part of the ocean that the sunlight could touch. Their bodies were adapted for air and sea, and they could withstand pressures that could kill a human. That's not even counting the certain number of merfolk that could control water in all its forms, beings that the humans had dubbed espers.

Tyr was confident in her people's ability to defend themselves, but humanity outnumbered them by population, and they had weapons of mass destruction that could easily cause collateral damage without even hitting their target. Tyr's expression darkened when she thought of the Decepticons, those vile conquerors who would burn this planet to cinders in their war. So many enemies above and below.

"Mother?"

Tyr turned to see her two children, Finn and Astrea, entering the hall. She smiled at them and welcomed them into her arms.

"We heard about the Autobots." Finn, her firstborn and crown prince, said. "Is everything alright?"

"Things are…a bit tense, but nothing serious has happened yet." Tyr sighed. "But we don't know how to go about this. Fight them or talk to them?"

"You know what father always said," Astrea smiled. "Trust your instincts. What do you want to do?"

Tyr thought about it for a moment. "Do as the Autobots once did. Reveal ourselves to the world and extend a hand of friendship to show that we mean no harm."

"And I will be there with you as crown prince, mother." Finn said.

"My children…" Tyr smiled and hugged them both. They were all she had left of her husband, a man who was the soft voice to her loud roar. It was difficult raising them while being queen, but she was proud that they had grown up to be good people.

They were why she wanted to fight. To protect them, her people, and their way of life. What she did next could decide if Atlantis became a world power, or an enemy of humanity.

XXXXXX

"So you're telling me that you actually met a race of merpeople who live in an underwater society that has been hidden from mankind for thousands of years?" Barnett looked up at Optimus and Prowl with an incredulous expression.

"That's the gist of it." Prowl said.

"If you didn't have video evidence, I would've thought that you needed a circuit-board change, Prime." He sighed. "This is going to be fun to report to the president."

"I've suggested to the queen that she officially reveal herself to the world and make an appeal to explain her actions against Osea, but I'm not entirely sure if she will accept my offer." Optimus said. "They were very hostile to us at first glance, only a step below how they feel about humans."

"Prime, what about the plutonium? Do you know if they have it?" Barnett asked.

"No, we didn't locate the plutonium. Queen Tyr admitted to attacking the submarine, but she professed no knowledge of the theft nor of the attack on the DMD station." He replied.

"So she says." Prowl crossed his arms. "She could just be lying to our faces for all we know."

"Prowl's right. The president wants some answers, among others things from you, and with this discovery, things might get hotter before they cool down." Barnett took out his phone. "I'm going to report this to General Abernathy, and in the meantime, is there any way you can contact the atlantians again?"

"I don't think we'll need to, guys." Jazz said and pointed to the Teletran terminal. "Look."

Optimus, Prowl, and Barnett looked at the monitor and saw that it was on a human news network. It was a breaking news coverage with the blub **"Atlantis Exists!" **on the bottom. Optimus and Prowl shared a look between them.

"If I had hair, it'd be turning gray by now." The tactician sighed.

XXXXXX

The League of Nations was a global organization of world leaders formed in the aftermath of the Gulf War as a way for nations to settle disputes diplomatically and provide aid to smaller countries that couldn't help themselves. Whenever there was a threat to global security, be it a growing warlord or an alien invasion, it was the League who were the first on the scene to give a little warning before revealing the big guns.

And since the League of Nations was such a large and powerful international organization, it was the first place Queen Tyr visited to announce the arrival of her people.

In the World Assembly, an emergency session was being held as Queen Tyr, and her son, Prince Finn, stood before the representatives of the member nations of the League of Nations to announce their people to the world. If they knew of the reactions the world was having, they did not show it, though one could guess they were well aware of the effect they were having.

"We, the merfolk, have lived alongside mankind for thousands of years. There was a time where we have coexisted with humanity as equals, but the cataclysm that brought about the Void Century had caused great damage to both our civilizations. As humanity recovered from the disaster and regressed into a feudal society due to the lack of advanced science and technology, we have survived within the world's oceans, hidden from human eyes." Tyr said to the leaders gathered before her. "This is because we are well-aware of how you humans treat those that are different from you, those that don't look and act like you. Let me make it clear that we will not tolerate such closemindedness.

"You all are well aware of the submarine sinking at the bottom of the Pacific, and I will admit to ordering an attack on the vessel. This was done in the fear of being discovered by a military submarine that posed a danger to our territory. It does not excuse the loss of lives lost, but I was only doing what I thought was the best course of action at the time." She continued. "Optimus Prime suggested that I come to you as a queen to declare ourselves to the world, and that is what I'm doing…along with issuing an ultimatum. No military submarines shall enter Atlantian territory without explicit permission from this day forth. Failure to comply will lead to the extermination of such vessels and the execution or imprisoning of all those onboard, should they respond with fierce resistance."

"So not only do you admit to attacking an Osean submarine unprovoked, you threaten us as well? Who gave you the authority to make such demands?" Yelled the Osean representative.

"I am the queen of Atlantis. I am the supreme authority of my people." Tyr said.

"We do not recognize such a nation!" Growled the representative of François.

"I don't care if you recognize me or not. Atlantis exists, we exist, and these are my demands. If you can't accept that simple fact, then there is nothing more to speak about." She replied.

"And what about the DMD deep sea station that was also attacked by an Atlantian craft?" Asked the Nipponese representative. He did not shout, but his tone was hard. "And the plutonium warheads that was stolen from the sunken submarine?"

"I have no knowledge of the stolen plutonium, and as far as I know no attack was done on the underwater station. Whether you believe me or not, I don't care, for that is my truth." Tyr said. "Just remember that we do not want to start a war or initiate violence, but we will defend our sovereignty, as is our right!"

The room erupted into a cacophony of angry yells and demands, not taking kindly to this sudden nonhuman making outrageous demands of them. If this was their reaction, then one could only imagine the reaction the meeting was getting from around the world. Tyr and Finn walked past them and out into the building's lobby, where Optimus's holomatter avatar stood with Barnett.

"Optimus Prime." Tyr greeted him politely.

"Queen Tyr." Optimus nodded back, and looked to Barnett. "This is Walter Barnett. He is the Autobot liaison for the government and an agent of the ARA."

"It's a pleasure." She said to the man and turned back to Optimus. "I took your advice to heart and stood before the world, taking a big risk on behalf of my people. I've already issued my demands and they act as if I've declared war on them. I do not want to fight, but if they stand against me, I will finish what they started."

"Your grace, please, this is not the way to do it." Barnett said, warily eying Finn, who stood close to his mother with his muscles tense, ready for action. "I can make a few calls, get you to talk with the President himself, but this is a wrong way to start things off."

"We are just showing the world that we will stand strong and not be bullied by other nations for our origins or our appearance." Finn said firmly, glaring at Barnett. "If they want a war, then we'll give them war. Just know we won't be the ones to start it."

"As someone who has seen the cost war will take upon a planet, I implore you to stay and allow us to negotiate." Optimus pleaded. "The world is dangerous enough with the Decepticons involved. Think of how this will effect Atlantis."

"It's because of Atlantis that I'm doing this. Don't lecture me on the costs of war while you're still in the midst of fighting one!" Tyr growled, gripping her trident tightly. She pushed past the two men. Finn gave them a quick nod before following his mother.

"That could've gone worse." Barnett groaned.

"It's not over." Optimus said. "We need to stop this before it escalates."

The minute Tyr and Finn left the building, they were swarmed by reporters asking a myriad of questions. Fortunately, Finn was quite adept at crowd control and he easily pushed the weaker humans aside to give them some space.

"What now, mother?" Finn asked.

"Now we wait and watch. I'll have the other cities stay on high alert for any suspicious activity. If the humans will offer talks of their own accord, then we're getting somewhere." Tyr said.

As they walked towards their ship, a woman clad in black watched the royal pair from an alleyway. She wait for them to get close enough before snapping her fingers-and the ship exploded.

Tyr and Finn were knocked back by the explosion, though they only got a few light burns from the flames. Tyr quickly got to her feet and raised her scepter (she had left her trident back at Atlantis to keep it safe).

"What is this?! Are we under attack?" She shouted.

The black-clad woman clapped her hands together and created a dozen little glowing balls before tossing them at the royals. Finn saw them before his mother and moved to protect her the only way he could.

"Mother!"

Optimus drove around the corner in vehicle mode and transformed just as the queen and prince were engulfed in a huge fireball that made the ground rumble. People screamed and ran as Optimus looked in horror at the scene.

"No!" Optimus shouted. He glanced across the street and saw the woman with the black coat running away, catching a glimpse of short blonde hair and goggles before she vanished. Memorizing her face, Optimus called Ratchet. "We need an immediate medical evac, Ratchet. We've got possible fatalities!"

XXXXXX

It didn't take long before news of the tragedy reached Atlantis. Princess Astrea learned of the attack on her mother and brother from her bodyguard, Kiani, who consoled her as she broke down on the spot. the council immediately convened in an emergency session to learn more about the incident.

"This is a disaster!" Gryphon, Tyr's half-brother and advisor, growled, slamming his fist on the table. "Those bastards will pay!"

"Gryphon, be still. We don't even know who was behind the attack." Dryanna said.

"Of course we know who did it. The humans." Killian entered the room. "I've just gotten a report from one of our drones. An esper was sighted fleeing the scene of the crime, most likely a hired assassin."

"The humans were so hurt by the noble words of our queen that they'd dare attack her and the prince in broad daylight." Gryphon scowled and turned to Killian. "Where are the bodies?"

"The Autobots were already on the scene and had taken the queen and prince. More likely, if they're alive, they'll be kept as hostages."

"Animals." Typhos growled.

"It's clear that the humans would rather annihilate us than make peace. If war is what they want, then war is what they'll have!" Gryphon announced.

"Gryphon, only the acting ruler has the power to declare war." Gawain said.

And Princess Aspen isn't of age to be coroneted, nor is she prepared. Besides, my dear niece if…grieving." Gryphon sighed. "As my sister's only living relative, I shall take the throne as king interim until the princess is of age. We don't have time now that the humans have made their move."

"What do you have planned, Lord Gryphon?" Killian asked.

"What else? We must retrieve the bodies of the queen and prince. We do not know if they're still alive or already in critical condition, but we must get them into water quickly." He said. "That is our first priority."

"We can have Cannon search for them. He knows the human world better than all of us." Dryanna said. She saw Killian scowl a bit, but Gryphon nodded.

"Good idea. Send the man at once."

"And what is our second priority?" Asked Typhos.

"We marshal our forces and activate the war machines. This attack is an act of war upon Atlantis, and shall not go unpunished." A dark look fell upon Gryphon's face. "We will wipe the humans and cybertronians off the face of Terra and finish this fight that they started!"

* * *

**God that chapter was hard to finish! Sorry for the extra long wait, I was working on an original fantasy fic for fictionpress nd got a bit caught up in it. And ****yeah, things did get crazy in this chap, huh? Humans are not the only intelligent life native to Terra, and the merfolk are more than a match for them. And the ****Autobots are caught in the middle as per usual. The next chapter might take a while to get out, but stay tuned, because that's when the action will start! Be ****sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on wordpress (directions to the link are in my profile). Thanks for reading, and please leave a r****eview. **


	5. The Enemy Below part 2

Chapter 5-The Enemy Below part 2

Ratchet wondered, not for the first time since being stationed on Terra, just how mind numbingly odd this day had become. Just this morning he was concerned with the increasing lack of feeling in his hands (a bad sign for an old mech like him) and barely paid any attention to the news aside from the discovery of an entire race living within the ocean. He was just focused on reading medical reports from Pharma and Ambulon that beamed in from Delphi when he got a panicked message from Optimus.

"Ratchet!" Optimus burst into the medibay carrying two bodies in his hands. Ratchet immediately recognized the humanoid forms as the queen and crown prince of Atlantis. "Ratchet, we need-"

"Put them on the beds, now!" Ratchet was in full medical mode as he had Optimus hook them up to life support machines, a new addition to the Ark's medibay in the case the kids suffered from anymore life threatening injuries. Longarm got to work in checking them over, and he already knew it wasn't looking good for them.

"Ratchet, they're suffering from extreme internal damages." Longarm said, running an X-ray scanner along their bodies. "And the prince is sporting severe burns. He's worse off than the queen."

"Scrap." Ratchet hissed.

"Can you help them, Ratchet?" Optimus asked.

"This medical equipment was built with humans in mind. I don't know what to use on merfolk without knowing if their bodies will accept it without harmful side effects." Ratchet said.

He was right. They had no idea if human medicine wouldn't do more damage to them or not. Optimus knew that the atlantians probably had some form of medical system for their people, but time was of the essence.

'If we can't use medicine, then maybe there's something else we can do.' Optimus thought. 'They're from the sea, so their bodies are adapted to aquatic environments…that's it!'

"Ratchet, take one of the miniature CR tanks and fill it with water." He said.

Ratchet looked at him confused. "What?"

"Just do it, Ratchet!"

Ratchet hurried over to where he stored his medical supplies and took out two of the spare miniature CR tanks that was reserved for Minicon-use. He quickly filled it with water and placed the two atlantian royals into the tanks. Longarm looked at their readings and saw that their heart monitors were slowly stabilizing.

Longarm looked at Optimus. "How…?"

"The atlantians may be amphibious, but they're bodies are mostly suited for an underwater environment. Their bodies will heal faster in water until we can give them proper treatment." Optimus explained.

"And you suggested this based on a hunch?" Ratchet said disapprovingly.

"Did you have any other ideas?" Optimus replied.

Longarm looked the two royals over. Tyr was in much better condition than her son. Finn, who had jumped in front of his mother and took the brunt of the second explosion, was covered in serious burns and even when sitting in water his condition only improved slightly.

"This is a disaster. The Atlantians will see this as an act of war." Optimus sighed.

"Go ahead and talk with Barnett. We can handle things here." Ratchet said, turning to the two merfolk. "At this point, all we can do is pray that they make it through the night."

XXXXXX

Optimus and Prowl stood in the command center talking with Barnett on what to do next. Thankfully, they were actually in a better position now than earlier with their guests.

"_I already have local law enforcement searching for the person behind the bombings. Judging from your description, it was a known esper mercenary Tabitha Sawyer. She can create tiny orbs that explode at will." _Barnett told them. _"The entire city's on high alert for her right now, but the top brass is dragging their feet after that stung Queen Tyr pulled at the world assembly."_

"I assume they know we have the queen and her son in our possession?" Optimus asked.

"_Yes, and they want you to turn them over into their custody. Some of the high ranking military officials, mostly in the Navy, think it might be helpful to have some leverage over the atlantians." _Barnett rubbed his forehead and sighed. _"The Navy and Coast Guard are on high alert, guys. This is looking to be an international incident."_

"Prime, Teletran's getting a transmission across the local television channels." Prowl said, pointing at the main monitor. "I think the queen's daughter is out for blood."

Optimus looked at the screen and saw Princess Astrea standing before her council, clad in armor and carrying her mother's trident.

"_Here me, people of Osea. My mother and brother took a chance coming to the surface world to protect our people from those who threaten our peace and independence. She did not want to fight or start a war. None of us did. But despite her calls for peace, you spat in her face and then had the audacity to attack them without provocation! If this is how humanity conducts business with those different from them, then no wonder the espers seek your extinction!"_

"This is on all channels by the way. She's somehow hijacking the cable networks to get her message across." Prowl said.

"_Can they do that?" _Barnett asked.

"They have the technology to do that and more. This is tech that was brought over from thousands of years ago. Ancient and powerful stuff." Prowl answered.

"_Because of this attack on my family and a ruling sovereign of Atlantis, I hereby declare war on humanity, starting with Osea. Your oceans belong to us, and your Navy is nothing compared to the power we possess." _Astrea continued. _"And this last part is to the Autobots. Return the remains of my mother and brother over to me within 48 hours or we will start attacking coastal cities along the east coast of Osea. Not a second longer."_

The message ended and the screen went black. Optimus, Prowl and Barnett stood in silence as the full weight of the situation came down on them.

"This…is going to be really bloody." Prowl muttered.

"Not if we can stop this before it starts." Optimus said. "Find that mercenary. Someone had her attack those royals, and I want to know who!"

XXXXXX

Once the broadcast was over, Astrea relaxed her tensed shoulders and stepped down from the podium, with her guard, Kiani, following her like a shadow. Her uncle, Gryphon, stood close by with her mother's trident, which was worth more than any crown their people made. Since she couldn't take the throne until she was eighteen, it fell to her uncle to manage things until she was old enough. Astrea didn't mind that, as she was still reeling from losing both her mother and brother. There was too much on her mind right now to really think about ruling a kingdom.

"48 hour, princess?" Gryphon asked curiously, walking in pace with Astrea. "With all due respect, princess, that's too broad a time frame. You're giving them too much time to prepare."

"I'm also giving ourselves time to prepare." Astrea said. "We still need time to get our forces into position, uncle. We can't do that if we push the humans into mustering up a counterattack before we've even deployed the gigas."

They reached the atrium of the palace, where they had a wide view of the sprawling city before them-Mu, Atlantis' capital city. The entire city sat atop a massive ship that was built thousands of years ago, a city-ship that lay buried under the ocean floor and well hidden from non-merfolk live. Everything they used was built and maintained using technology humans once wielded back in the Age of Wonders, technology that the merfolk have refined over the centuries to better acclimate to the changing world.

Astrea knew of the overwhelming capabilities of human weaponry, everyone in the political and military arenas knew. Thus no one was too worried about their more powerful weapons, as they had been paying close attention to them since the Industrial Revolution. The humans may have their missiles and bombs, but the Atlantians controlled the seven seas…and more.

"General Killian, how are our defenses?" Gryphon asked Killian.

"The outer colonies are on high alert of any human underwater vehicles and Autobot presences in the area. Leviathan gigas are on standby and the Tigersharks are prepped and ready to deploy." Killian said. "Be it an assault or a skirmish, we'll be ready for it."

"Has there been any word from Garen on the surface?" Astrea asked.

"Nothing of note, princess." Killian said. "I'm sorry."

Astrea closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay…that will be all."

Killian and Gryphon bowed to her and they walked out of the atrium. As they made their way down the hall, they waited to make sure they were alone before starting their conversation.

"You know, this isn't such a bad thing." Killian said.

"Oh really?" Gryphon grunted disapprovingly. "Even after all this time, the princess still holds some affection for the hairless apes on land. I admire her code of conduct, but the humans will no doubt use this grace period to bombard the ocean with their weapons."

"She was right in the idea that we can also use this time to prepare. The humans have no idea where our cities are, and we are within striking distance of every settlement along the coastline of Osea." Killian explained, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Gryphon, 48 hours is more than enough for us to activate the Blue Sun."

Gryphon paled and glared at Killian. "Are you mad, Killian?! The Blue Sun is a doomsday weapon that shouldn't be fired to blatantly!"

"You and I both know that even though our quarrel is with Osea, all it takes is one nation to lead the rest of the world into war with us. We may have advanced weapons but they have numbers on us. If we want to at least have a chance at winning, we need to cut them down to size, and the Blue Sun can do just that."

Gryphon grimaced and looked away. "But…to fire it without even informing the princess…"

"She'll refuse our request in a heartbeat. She's like your sister in that regard, unwilling to take the next step in winning for our people's existence." Killian placed a hand on Gryphon's shoulder. "There's no backing out of this now. We've gone too far. All we can do is make sure our actions weren't for nothing."

Gryphon inhaled sharply through his nose and nodded before walking down the hall to the war room with his general. They needed to win this coming war at any cost. For Atlantis, and her people.

XXXXXX

"_Optimus Prime, don't make this any harder than it has to be. Hand over the two Atlantians." _

Optimus wasn't one to really dislike people, but he found himself disliking this Director Hollander more and more as the meeting went on. The director of the now defunct Skywatch organization was met with General Abernathy and Agent Barnett, who were acting on the President's behalf in "requesting" that they turn the two Atlantians to Osean custody. Prime's refusal sparked a rather heated argument in which he had to keep deflecting the three men to keep the two merfolk from falling into less reputable hands.

"I've said this before, Director Hollander, until the queen and her son are in a stable enough condition to be moved, they will not be going anywhere. And I will not allow them to be treated as hostages or lab rats on my watch."

"_That's not your call to make, Prime. We are on the verge of war, and we need every advantage we can get."_ Hollander said. _"We barely have two days to prepare for an invasion we have no idea when or where it's going to start."_

"When the Queen recovers, we can have her stop her daughter from waging war on us." Optimus said. "She's only waging war on us because she thinks that we tried to kill her mother and brother. This exchange may be the only way to avoid an all-out war."

"_Exactly, so hand them over into Osean custody so we can at least have some leverage over the princess."_ Hollander glared at Optimus, who glared back at him. _"Don't think that you have the authority to interfere in Terran matters like this. You can't just go behind our back and withhold enemies of humanity like this."_

"Given that you are the new director of Skywatch, you're the last person to be talking about going behind people's backs." Optimus remarked. This got him an ever colder glare from Hollander.

Abernathy considered Prime's words and nodded. "_Okay, Prime, we'll trust you on this one. I'll put a word in for the President and you try to resolve this mess with the Queen. Just remember that we can't hold back forever. If they shoot first, we'll shoot back."_

Optimus nodded and the general signed off, and Hollander did the same, but not before giving Optimus a baleful glare. Now alone, Barnett gave Optimus a look.

"_You didn't tell them about the prince?" _He asked.

"If I did, they would've been more adamant to get his remains, and I will not have a hand in them desecrating his body." Optimus said and looked to the medibay across the hall, where he saw the Queen still sleeping on her bed…and her son lying still beneath a white sheet placed over him.

XXXXXX

"Is the target sighted, Bee?" Prowl asked.

"Not yet." Bumblebee said with a sigh. "This is getting a bit dull."

Bumblebee was a scout trained to move fast in short periods of time and wait only as long as it was beneficial to his survival. He rarely had to wait in one place for so long and it was staring to wear on his patience. But Prowl had to admire his tenacity for keeping still for so long; a far cry from Armorhide. He just wouldn't shut up.

The two Autobots were paired up for their specific skills to locate and capture the esper woman, Tabitha Smythe, who bombed the world assembly and tried to assassinate the two Atlantian royals. Optimus ordered them to interrogate her on the spot, preferably before the Atlantians found her first and killed her.

Prowl had checked the security cameras in the area on the day of the attack and since then, he noticed that Tabitha hadn't left the city yet, but was laying low until she found an opening to slip past. The entire city was on high alert for her, so she couldn't just hitch a ride to New Jersey. After some more inspection, Prowl learned that she liked to hang out at an underground bar for espers she frequented often before heading to her apartment. It didn't take long to find the place and together they waited for their prey to make her move.

"How long does it take for a woman to get drunk and go home?" Bumblebee groaned.

"From what I've heard, our woman can hold her alcohol pretty well." Prowl said. "Be glad she's not a complete heavyweight or we'd be here for a long time…wait, I see her."

They hushed up when they saw Tabitha climbing up the stairs while hefting a large steel chest on her shoulder, which was covered in strange symbols. Prowl did a quick scan of the chest and noted that it was built with a metal that wasn't known to his databases. She put the large chest into the back of her van and quickly waddled into the driver's seat, despite clearly being plastered. As soon as she started the van, she abruptly drove in reverse and knocked over a fire hydrant before speeding down the street.

"Let's go before she runs someone over." Prowl said. He and Bumblebee drove after her and Prowl switched on his siren.

In her van, Tabitha was trying to keep her vision from turning double as she drove drunkenly to her safe house. She didn't usually get so drunk before driving, but she just hit the biggest payday of her life. With this money, she was set for life! Then she heard that dreaded police siren and looked at her rear view mirror to see a police cruiser gaining on her tail.

"You bastards aren't gonna ruin my night!" Tabitha growled and blew into her hand. Several small energy spheres formed in her hand and she tossed them out the window onto the street, letting them roll towards Prowl. She waited for the Autobot to get closer before snapping her fingers, mentally detonating them.

Prowl cursed as the street suddenly exploded right in front of him. The force of the explosion flipped him forward, throwing him nearly a foot into the air before he crashed onto the sidewalk.

"Prowl!" Bumblebee exclaimed.

"Circle around the block and cut her off!" Prowl yelled, changing to robot mode to right himself. "Hurry before she get's away!"

Tabitha laughed loudly at her supposed victory. "Stupid cop. Should've stayed back to finish his doughnuts!" She turned back to face the road and jumped when a small yellow car suddenly stopped in her path. "Fuck!"

She tried to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting the car, but she got another surprise when the VW Beetle unfolded and reshaped itself into a robot. Bumblebee leaned forward and easily caught her van in his grip, skidding back a bit, but managing to stop her in her tracks.

"Isn't it illegal to drink and drive?" He asked.

"Get fucked you stupid tin can!" Tabitha kicked her door open and jumped out, throwing a couple of energy bombs at his face. Bumblebee scrambled back as the tiny but deceptively powerful bombs exploded in his face, blinding his optic sensors with the energy discharge that left him with blurry vision for a moment. Tabitha used this chance to make a run for it.

"Stop!" Bumblebee stumbled after her, but as his vision recovered, he missed the energy bombs she left on the ground. He stepped on one, and when it detonated, it caused a chain reaction that coated his legs in flames. "Ow!"

"Later loser!"

Tabitha's parting shot and subsequent victory was cut short when a jet of water hit her in the chest and knocked her down. "What the hell was that?"

From around the corner, a pale skinned man clad in dark gray armor that looked like hardened shark skin walked out of the darkness and into the light of the flames behind her. He pointed a sharp looking weapon at her that fit over his hand like a gauntlet. "I did, murderer."

Bumblebee blinked to clear the static from his vision as he looked at the newcomer. "Who are you?"

"My name is Garen, agent of Princess Astrea, and you, assassin, are under arrest for the murder of Queen Tyr and Prince Finn." The man said.

"Agent? But you're human!" Bumblebee said.

Before anything else could be said, Prowl sped around the corner and changed forms, pointing his rifle at Garen. "Stand down! This woman's in our custody."

"Stay out of Atlantian affairs, Autobot." Garen glared up at Prowl. "This doesn't concern you."

Seeing that things were about to get violent, Bumblebee stepped between them. "Hold on, let's not fight. We can talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about!" Garen glared down at the esper on the ground, still holding his weapon at her. "This woman will be brought to Atlantis for questioning, and she will pay for her crimes against our people."

"Like hell I will, blondie!" Tabitha jumped up to attack him, but Garen was faster. He pulled the trigger on his weapon and fired a thin beam of energy that hit her in the right arm, completely engulfing it in ice. She fell to her knees screaming in pain as the extremely cold ice started to seep into her skin slowly freezing her arm from the outside in. "Shit, that hurts!"

"This gun can either give you a severe case of frostbite in the middle of summer or it can completely tear you apart in a single shot. You don't want me to use the lethal setting."

"Look, just stop for a minute. She isn't the one you're looking for." Prowl said. "She's a mercenary. Whoever paid her to attack the queen and prince is the one we're trying to find out."

"So spill it, who paid you to kill them?" Bumblebee demanded.

"I don't know! I don't ask questions from paying clients!" Tabitha grunted. She was already starting to lose feeling in her arm. "Get this crap off me!"

"Not until you answer our questions." Garen said. "What did your client look like?"

"I don't know, he just had on this swanky robe and didn't show his face. Dude was super secretive." She answered.

Prowl looked to the van and walked over to it. Prying the trunk open, he reached inside and took out the chest, dropping it onto the ground and prying the lid open. Ignoring Tabitha's cries to let her money go, he threw the chest to the ground and a whole pile of gold coins fell onto the street.

"Gold coins? Wow, whoever's behind this must be filthy rich." Bumblebee said.

Garen narrowed his eyes and knelt down to inspect the gold. Picking up a coin, he was shocked to find that he recognized the coin. "It can't be…these are Atlantian-made coins. Gold coins that could only be found in the royal treasury!"

"No way." Bumblebee breathed.

"Garen, are you saying that the instigator is Atlantian?" Prowl asked.

"Not just that." Garen stood up, looking very disturbed. "Whoever ordered the assassination has ties to the royal family."

"Or they could be a member of the royal family themselves." Prowl said grimly. "Garen, I know you don't want our help, but right now I think you need to meet Prime. We just stumbled across a case of political subterfuge that might spell danger for both humans and merfolk!"

XXXXXX

Prowl and Bumblebee brought Garen back to the Ark with them, right after informing Optimus of this update, and the man took only a second to marvel a bit at the massive ship he found himself in after steeping out of the ground bridge. Agent Barnett, who was paying the Autobots a visit, walked into the shuttle bay to get him.

"Garen, right? I'm-"

"Take me to them." Garen said firmly. Barnett nodded and had Garen follow him deeper into the ship.

The next few minutes were tense. Barnett led Garen through the Ark, down the familiar set of halls towards the medibay, where they heard someone crying within. Recognizing the voice, Garen pushed past Barnett and ran into the medibay. He spotted the now awake Queen Tyr leaning over a bed covered in bandages. Garen almost called out to her when he noticed the motionless body of Prince Finn on the bed.

"No," Garen breathed. "How…?"

"The prince had taken the brunt of the explosion when he was protecting the queen." Longarm walked up to him. "The severe burns and internal damage he suffered was too much for him to handle and he…didn't make it." He sighed and looked at the weeping mother. "You're welcome to go see her."

Garen nodded and walked over to the crying queen. Tyr had bandages along her arms and a couple on her torso, but she was mostly healed. He stood next to her and got on one knee.

"Your grace, I…I am so sorry for your loss." Garen said softly. "If I had been there-"

"There was nothing you…you could have done, Garen." Tyr sniffled, looking at him with red eyes. She pulled him into a hug, which he returned. "We can't change what has already passed. Right now, all we can do is worry about the present. How is Astrea?"

"She is coping with losing you and the prince, but your brother has taken the throne after news of the attack reached Atlantis. Everyone believes you two are dead." Garen glanced at Finn on the bed. "Lord Gryphon has already declared war on the humans, starting with Osea, and is mustering the Atlantian Army for a devastating first strike on coastal regions all over the country."

"What?!" Tyr stood up in outrage. "He has no right to declare war without the council's approval!"

"He has the princess's support and used that to overturn their decision, using the attack on you and the prince as reason enough to wage war. But I fear that there's more to it than that." Garen said, looking back at the Autobots. "The Autobots have made a rather…disturbing discovery behind the circumstances of the attack."

Optimus chose that moment to enter the conversation. "Your grace, I know you must grieve for your son, but we need to stop this war before it starts. Prowl has discovered that woman who attacked was a mercenary paid in Atlantian gold."

"Atlantian?" Tyr gasped. "No, it can't be!"

Prowl handed her some of the coins he got from the chest. "It's true. The woman was a pain in the chest with a chest full of Atlantian coins that, according to Garen, were from your palace's treasury."

Tyr looked at the coins in her trembling hands. She recognized these coins-gold was something even rarer in the ocean than on land. Abundant quantities of this metal could belong to the royal family, and this brought her down a thought process that she wasn't liking.

"Only a handful of people including myself have access to the royal treasury, and only one person has the audacity to use the royal funds for this." Tyr's tear-stricken face changed into an angry expression reminiscent of a shark. "Gryphon!"

"Your younger brother?" Optimus said. "But why would he do that? Why drag Atlantis into a war?"

"The answer is obvious." Tyr growled. "Because he thinks he's doing our people a favor by wiping out the humans. Garen!"

"Yes, your grace?" Garen straightened up.

"Get me my clothes. Prime, I want to use your communications systems." Tyr commanded. "It's time I had a talk with my brother!"

A couple of minutes later, Tyr was dressed in her slightly burnt and torn robes, marching down the hallway with Garen towards the command center where Optimus was contacting the Atlantian military outpost. They had just reached the room as Optimus finally made contact with the Atlantian palace…only it wasn't the person they were expecting.

"Optimus Prime, this is a surprise." General Killian said, raising his eyebrow. "Are the humans such cowards that they asked their alien champion to speak for them instead?"

"Killian!" Tyr shouted, marching up to the console.

"Queen Tyr, you're alive. How wonderful." Killian didn't sound the least bit surprised at seeing her alive…or pleased.

"Killian, where's Gryphon? I want to speak to him." She demanded.

"That's King Gryphon to you, and he's a bit busy preparing the extermination of mankind." Killian said.

"I'm not dead, you fool, and I know Gryphon paid an esper mercenary to assassinate me. My son is dead because of that bastard!" She snarled. "So tell me where he is right now!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible. Right now we're on the verge of war, and I will be leading the charge to ensure our people's independence and safety from the rabid animals your alien friends are beholden to. We're simply doing what needs to be done. What you were too afraid to do. It's a shame the prince is dead, but at least your daughter will know that certain measures must be taken in order to ensure the continuation of our species." Killian said. "This will be the last time we'll talk, Queen Tyr. Rest assured, we'll name the new underwater kingdom of Osea in your honor."

"KILLIAN!" Tyr roared and shot her hand forward, shooting a jet of water at the screen and destroying it.

"That was unnecessary." Prowl muttered.

"So I take it we're going to stop the Gryphon and Killian from wiping out all life on Osea." Bumblebee said.

"You won't last long against the full force of the Atlantian military." Garen said. "As advanced as this ship is, their technology and weaponry were designed to deal with large, heavily armored vessels. I doubt you'll reach Gryphon before they do serious damage."

"Then what are our options?" Prowl asked.

"Perhaps we can anticipate what they'll do next. Surely Killian doesn't expect to attack Osea without having the rest of the world coming down on them. There must be a contingency to call upon in situations like these." Optimus looked to the still fuming queen. "Queen Tyr, is there any place where the Atlantians can launch an instant strike on any nation they target?"

"Yes, we have a doomsday weapon designed in the worst case scenario if we were embroiled in a war with the entire human race. A weapon designed to cause maximum damage in a short period of time." Tyr said. "The Blue Sun."

XXXXXX

The Atlantians called it the Blue Sun. According to Tyr, it was an Atlantian doomsday device developed by the Atlantian Science Division under orders of her grandfather in response to the growing advancements in human weaponry, particularly the creation of weapons of mass destruction.

It was a satellite that, when launched from its holding site at the North Pole, would be deployed into the atmosphere and build up energy from solar radiation it absorbs. Using that energy, it will fire a beam down into the North Pole, causing a severe polar meltdown that will cause sea levels to rise. Once that process is initiated, the Atlantians would use their most powerful espers to control the water and direct it towards the most populous areas all over the world, turning the flood into a weapon that will cause devastating amounts of damage.

The Autobots looked at Queen Tyr in shock as she explained the process and method behind the Blue Sun's activation. A weapon that used the forces of nature against humanity. It was unbelievable that such a thing even existed.

"Primus," Optimus muttered. "And you would've set that loose on mankind?"

"As I said, I was a weapon of last resort, should the humans prove too powerful to defeat." Tyr said. "But the thing is, I never armed it. The Blue Sun was designed to be activated only by the acting ruler of Atlantis using the Trident, and only I know the place where its fusion power source is stored."

"But you won't need a power source when you have plutonium on hand." Prowl said, making Tyr scowl. "I guess we know who took the plutonium too."

"If the polar ice caps melt, the world will sink beneath the waves. That alone will cause more destruction than Megatron entire army combined." Optimus said, marching to the door. "Gryphon must be stopped."

"And he will." Tyr said darkly. "I'll kill him myself."

XXXXXX

Once Tyr had given them the coordinates to the launch site, the Autobots had taken a ground bridge to the North Pole and mobilized immediately. They arrived at the edge of a glacier in their vehicle modes, with Optimus, Tyr and Garen in the front, following by a strike team consisting of Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, Arcee, Bulkhead, Trailbreaker, Skyfire and Tomahawk. They were heading toward the large mountain of ice that was just a few miles away from them that held the Blue Sun satellite within.

"It's inside that mountain, hollowed out and hidden in plain sight." Tyr said. "If I can get there, I can deactivate it by removing the plutonium inside the satellite's reactor."

"I think we're already too late for that." Tomahawk said above them. "I'm spotting smoke coming from the top of the mountain."

"They're probably starting up the launch sequence already." Bumblebee said.

"Okay, if that's the case, then where are the baddies?" Jazz asked. "I'm not seeing anyone in sight."

He got his answer when a large pillar of fire burst from the ground in front of them. The Autobots skidded to a stop as the ice cracked and broke apart before them, giving way to the massive Atlantian carrier that tore through the glacier with great ease. Another ship broke through the ice in the open water behind them, and both ships deployed almost a three dozen gigas from their launch bays each.

These humanoid machines were sleeker and more agile than the golems that were once used by humans. Each one was twenty feet tall, and they sported dense composite armor that could a couple of direct hits from a tank shell. Armed with laser blasters built into their arms, they flooded out of the transport ships and charged at the Autobots from both sides.

"Oh scrap." Bulkhead groaned.

"We don't have time for a battle now." Tyr said to Optimus. "Gryphon could already be at the launch site right now."

"Tell that to the fully armed robots charging at us." Jazz said.

"She's right. We don't have time for this. Autobots, fight them back, but try to avoid causing any casualties." Optimus replied and called up to Skyfire. "Skyfire, I need you to warp us as close to the mountain as possible."

"You got it, Prime." Skyfire transformed and landed next to Optimus.

"You better brace yourself, your grace." Optimus said to Tyr. "Warping for the first time tends to make organics a bit dizzy."

Tyr blinked at him. "What do you mean-"

Her question was cut off as she suddenly found her vision engulfed in a bright green flash as she, Optimus and Skyfire teleported away from the battlefield just as the gigas closed in on the Autobots. The team transformed and took out their weapons.

"What's the plan?" Jazz asked.

"Fight off the robots, try not to die and hold out long enough for the queen to stop her mad brother and save the world." Prowl said.

"Straight and to the point." Ironhide grinned and took out his dual laser cannons. "I like that plan."

He combined his cannons into one massive plasma cannon and hefted the large weapon onto his shoulder. Bulkhead and Arcee wisely stood clear of him as he took aim at the gigas running at them.

"Fire in the hole!"

A blinding plasma burst shot from his cannon and hit the oncoming gigas dead on. Over a dozen robots were destroyed in that single blast, which caused an explosion that rattled the ground they stood on. The other Autobots opened fire on the ones that were still charging at them while also avoiding the laser blasts that were being shot back.

Whether or not they could defeat the Atlantian army was not the question. All they needed to do was hold out long enough for Optimus and the queen to fix this mess before the entire world got a rendition of the biblical flood.

XXXXXX

Optimus and Skyfire reappeared at the foot of the mountain with Tyr in hand. The queen looked greener than she naturally was and she closed her eyes for a moment to keep herself from getting sick.

"Never do that again." She groaned.

"Apologies, mate. Forgot that not everyone takes it well the first time." Skyfire said and looked up at the mountain. There was a cave that led straight into the mountain just a few feet from them. "You better get a move on, princess. It's about to get-"

The ice under Skyfire's feet suddenly rose up and engulfed her body, completely freezing everything below her shoulders. Before Optimus or Tyr could do anything, an azure energy beam was fired from the space in front of the cave and slammed into Skyfire's head, blasting her off her feet and knocking her out. Optimus took out his ion blaster and pointed it at the mountain.

"Queen Tyr, I knew you would come." The air shimmered and a tall robot appeared from thin air. It looked like a gigas, but had sleeker black armor, and a more defined head. A long, curved sword hung on its side, and a cannon rested on its left arm, folded up but its barrel still smoking from its recent shot. "I would've been disappointed if you didn't try to stop us."

Tyr recognized this gigas as one of the new models that the Atlantian military had been testing. It was a gigas based on the human talos, created to be piloted by an Atlantian, but instead of joysticks and pedals, it was manipulated using motion controls. The pilot wore a data suit that read their movements and controlled the gigas as if it were a second body. Field tests had proven the gigas to be very powerful and fast, but there wasn't a chance to really test in live combat operations…until now, it seemed.

"Killian." Tyr growled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm doing my duty to my people, your grace." Killian replied. "A duty to ensure their safety."

"So your duty led you to conspire with my brother and attack your queen and prince?" Tyr snarled. "You have some nerve. What you're doing is treason, plain and simple!"

"I regret the actions I had to take to put things into motion, but I will never regret why I did it all. Think about it, do you really think the humans will accept us, when they can barely accept a subspecies that they demonize thoughtlessly?" He went on. "They've already been making plans to kill us or use us as lab rats to study our biology, while stealing our technology to kill themselves faster."

"Not all humans are evil, Killian. Yes, there are many who will commit atrocities for many reasons, but that's no reason to commit genocide like this." Optimus said. "Doing this will make you no better than the most evil of humans you despise so much."

"You shouldn't be talking, Autobot." Killian spat. "Do you think your Autobots are safe from this? I'm pretty sure there are many elements within the Osean government planning to pilfer your technology to make weapons to stab you in the back with. I wonder how long it'll be before they betray you and put your troops on a lab table to cut them open!"

"Enough! This ends now, Killian!" Tyr went to attack, but Optimus stepped in her way. "Get out of the way, Prime!"

"No, your fight is with your brother. We don't have time for a prolonged conflict with him." Optimus glared at Killian. "Let me handle Killian."

Tyr scowled, but nodded and let him take the lead. She raised her hands and the ice she stood on rose into the air, and with another hand motion she turned the ice into water and rode the water wave around Killian towards the cave. Killian pointed his cannon at her, but was forced to duck under an ion blast that almost took his gigas's head off.

"Your fight is with me, Killian." Optimus said.

"That's your first mistake since coming to Atlantis, Prime." Killian growled.

The ice cracked and broke apart under his gigas, and the ice changed into three large spiraling jets of water that rose above him and shot at Optimus. Optimus charged forward, dodging the water jets that crashed into the ground hard enough to crack the ice and fired his ion blaster at the gigas. Killian summoned ice shields to block the blasts while also firing his cannon at Optimus, on top of sending more tendrils of ice at the Prime.

They both charged at each other still firing their weapons. As they got closer, Optimus and Killian threw a punch at each other, landing direct hits on their faces. They stumbled back from their respective hits, but Killian tried to shoot Optimus down with his laser cannon, though his weapon arm was diverted just enough to avoid hitting Prime in the face. They dueled in the snow like this for a minute before Killian lost his patience and raised his other arm, which deployed a long, curved blade that he slashed at Optimus.

The blade dug into his chest plate, leaving behind a deep cut. Optimus tossed his ion blaster aside and took out his battle axe, spinning right under Killian's next strike to bury his axe into the side of his cockpit. The gigas's thick armor saved Killian from a potentially fatal blow, but he was still thrown off balance a bit, and Optimus used this chance to ram himself into the gigas and throw him to the ground.

Mounting the gigas, Optimus rained down a series of powerful punches to the robot's head, his fists denting the machine's armor. Killian felt each blow echoed by his data suit and he cursed the Autobot as he began hitting the gigas's cockpit. Anymore of this and the gigas's frame would be destroyed under Prime's bare hands, and Killian wasn't going to let that happen.

Focusing on the ice under his machine, Killian commanded the ice to shoot out around him and hit Optimus. Four ice spikes shot out of the ground and slammed into Prime, stabbing him in the shoulders and lower abdomen while throwing him off Killian. As the Autobot leader crashed into the canyon wall, Killian shakily got to his feet, both his body and his gigas still ringing from the assault Optimus dealt to him.

"You're good, Prime. Too good." Killian breathed and raised his arms. The ice around him shot from the ground and turned into water, gathering into a ball above him that got larger as more water was added to it. "Looks like I should take you seriously this time."

He thrust his arms forward and the water shot at Optimus, turning into a rapidly spinning drill that would tear the Autobot leader in half at the speeds it was spinning at.

XXXXXX

Tyr ran through the tunnel that led into the mountain. She could hear the sounds of battle outside and knew that Optimus and Killian were fighting fiercely. She would not let Prime's generosity be in vain as she headed down the vaguely familiar corridor that led to the launch chamber.

The launch chamber was built inside of the hollowed out mountain, with reinforced ice bridges connecting separate platforms on different levels. Tyr was on the lowest level, and the control panel for the launch was on the third level, where she was sure her brother would be. The satellite, which looked nothing like any of the satellites that the humans had built over the past decades, was still inside its cradle deep underground, although judging from the steam rising from the dark abyss showed that it wouldn't be sitting idle for long.

Tyr walked out onto the bridge and saw a figure standing on the edge of the third level-it was Gryphon. He stood clad in battle armor that looked like shark skin, and in his hand was the golden trident that he probably used to activate the launch sequence. He wore no expression on his face, but Tyr could see his hand lightly trembling around the trident.

"Sister," Gryphon called out. "So it's true, you are alive."

"I am, and my son is dead." Tyr growled.

Despite himself, Gryphon actually grimaced at that. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. If you had just listened to us-"

"I'm done listening to you, and I'm done talking." Tyr said. "You killed my son, Gryphon. Prepare to die!"

Tyr shot her hands up and sent a water jet at Gryphon. He jumped off the ledge as the water jet destroyed the spot he was standing in and fell towards her, firing golden energy bolts from the trident. Tyr brought up an ice shield from the ground to block the bolts as she ran along the side of the chamber, shooting ice bullets at Gryphon as he landed on the bridge connecting both sides of the circular chamber. He swiped the trident and sent an arc of energy slamming into the platform Tyr stood on, destroying her shield and the ground she stood on. She jumped up and propelled herself at Gryphon on a water jet, slamming into him and flipping over his head to land behind him. Gryphon quickly got back to his feet and raised the trident.

"Do you even know how to use that thing?" Tyr asked spitefully. "That relic is wasted on you."

"I am of royal blood just like you, sister." Gryphon replied. "I can use the trident's power just as easily as you can."

"Yes, but unlike you, the trident chose me upon my coronation."

Tyr held out her hand, and as if by magic, the trident was pulled from Gryphon's grasp and flew over the chasm into her hand. Gryphon could only stare at her in shock as she held her weapon in one hand, lifting the solid gold trident in the air as if it were made of steel.

"I believe the humans have a phrase for moments like this. Oh yes!" Tyr said and pointed the trident at Gryphon. "You're fucked."

At Tyr's command, the trident fired off an energy bolt that was noticeably more powerful than when Gryphon held it. He brought up an ice shield, but the force of the blast sent him flying across the chasm and crashing into the wall. Tyr flew after him and brought the trident down on his face, nearly breaking his jaw as he hit the ground.

"N-No!" Gryphon created another ice shield to stop Tyr from impaling him with her trident, but she merely used its energy current to shatter his flimsy defense. "Sister, please! I was only doing what I thought was best for our pe-"

"I said I was done talking!" Tyr smashed the trident onto his shoulder, shattering the bone there and getting a cry of pain from her brother.

Gryphon crumpled to the ground, clutching his shattered shoulder blade as Tyr stood over him, holding the tip of her glowing trident against his face. He looked up at her fearfully as she prepared to execute him in the heart of the ends of the world.

"The humans will betray us no matter what we do. They'll take our kindness and spit in our face!" He hollered. "Are you prepared for the consequences if they retaliate against us?"

"Any retaliation on their part will be because of your actions today. And if they do betray us, then I'll deal with it accordingly." Tyr replied. "Just like you."

Gryphon made to scream at Tyr, but his voice was drowned out by the explosive burst fired from the trident. Its golden energy tore his upper body apart and completely burned him away. Tyr didn't even flinch as she incinerated her own brother.

XXXXXX

Optimus managed to avoid getting impaled by the water drill, but he was still hit by the full force of the wave, which slammed into him with such force that the armor on his right arm was dented. The drill crashed into the canyon wall behind him and the ice completely broke apart, sending large chunks raining down on him. Optimus ran to avoid getting buried alive and crushed, but as he did so, he was hit in the shoulder by a blast from Killian.

"You cannot win, Prime!" Killian bellowed. "This entire continent is my weapon! Everything the ice touches can be used against you!"

With a smoking hole in his left shoulder, Optimus rolled across the ground to avoid another blast from Killian, getting to his knees to fire off a shot at the gigas. He scored a direct hit on the robot's shoulder, blasting off a good chunk of its joint and causing the blade arm to fall off, but Killian was far from done.

Focusing all of his power into controlling the ice, Killian sent multiple ice tendrils at Optimus. Wounded, but far from defeated, Optimus charged at Killian, dodging the ice whenever he could. What he could not dodge, he simply smashed apart with his bare hands. Prime's charge didn't slow down or waver as he continued advancing towards Killian while dodging and punching away his attacks and Killian was starting to get desperate. When a large spike burst from the ground to impale him, Optimus avoided the spike and used it to push him up into the air before kicking off it and lunging at Killian.

Everything seemed to slow down for Killian as he saw Prime's bright blue eyes glaring at him through his monitor. Optimus was rearing his fist back to deliver a solid punch that would've caused some serious damage. Killian, moving faster than he ever had in his entire military career, shot his right arm up and smacked Optimus away with a large ice construct that sent the Autobot leader flying away from him.

The minute Optimus hit the ground, his body was encased in ice that trapped his arms and legs, leaving him immobile. Killian limped over to Optimus in his damaged gigas and pointed his cannon at his head.

"You're a powerful warrior, Prime, but you're no leader. A true leader will do what must be done, and you simply don't have the conviction for those kinds of decisions." Killian said.

"You don't know what I've done in this war, Killian. I've left millions of people to die just to save a million more." Optimus grunted. His arms strained against the ice, but without leverage, he couldn't even budge. "What you call conviction, I call a lack of morals."

"Then we'll just agree to disagree then." He said. "Goodbye, Optimus Prime."

Just as Killian was about to shoot, a golden bolt shot from the cave and hit his gigas, blasting one of its legs off in a single shot. Killian stumbled, spinning around to the cave where the attack came from and saw another bolt that destroyed the cannon on his arm. It didn't take him long to figure out the culprit.

"The queen…" He hissed. "Damn you, Gryphon!"

As the gigas crashed to the ground, Killian used his water powers to rip away the cockpit hatch of his unit and jumped out of his damaged unit. Just then, he saw the cave entrance explode in a shower of ice and water as the queen raced to fight him, trident in hand, riding in a towering water spout like the great Atlantian kings of old.

'Fighting her would be tough enough as it is. With the power of the trident, she's not someone I want to fight right now.' Killian thought.

Unfortunately, he had no choice, as Tyr unleashed a barrage on him with her trident. Bolts of lightning rained down on him, destroying the very ground he stood on, blasting him off his feet and sent him tumbling across the cold ice. He stood up, but Tyr was already upon him, using the trident like a club to smack back down to the ground. He tried to command the water with his powers, but Tyr was quicker, trapping his arms and legs in ice and stabbing the tips of the trident into his chest to deliver a powerful electrical current into his body that completely numbed him.

"N-NO!" Killian roared as he dropped to the ground, unable to move. He glared up at the stoic queen, who glared back down at him without a hint of remorse in her expression.

"You had this coming, Killian." Tyr said and used her Trident to shatter the ice holding Optimus. "The Blue Sun is staying right here, hidden and deactivated. And you will face justice for your crimes against the royal family."

"You fool! If we don't wipe them out now, they'll destroy us all!" Killian shouted at her. "We have to see this through or our people will die!"

"And whose fault is that?" She shot back. "Don't worry, Killian, I won't let our people suffer because of your xenophobia. Atlantis will stand strong, just as it always has."

A large shadow fell over them, and Tyr looked back at the towering form of Optimus Prime.

"And we will not stand alone this time."

XXXXXX

The aftermath of the battle was almost as hectic as the battle itself. Following the death of her brother, and Killian's arrest, Queen Tyr took up her throne and ordered her forces to disengage and return to Atlantis. She didn't waste any time in informing both her people and the world of the treachery she suffered and what had almost happened. Optimus had acted as her messenger to the Osean government, setting up a meeting before the League of Nations once more, this time in a more orderly manner.

"I would like to apologize to the world for my rash actions. I was so quick to mistrust humanity based on their follies that I forgot that we merfolk are also capable of great good and great evil. It's just sad that it took me losing my son to remember that fact." Tyr said, standing before the world assembly that broadcasted her address to the world. "I know that things will be tense between our peoples, but I hope to have both humans and merfolk eventually join together as a united force against those who threaten our world, most of all the Decepticons."

Queen Tyr was already in talks with President Flagg about a possible alliance between Atlantis and Osea, with future talks with Nippon in the works as well. Garen, the sole human who was raised in Atlantis, was her liaison to the Osean government, and even Optimus was involved in the peace accords as well.

Despite all the media attention and political maneuvering, the queen was still able to have some quiet moments too. After having a tearful reunion with her daughter, they both held a state funeral for Finn. The Autobots were in attendance too, and when Finn's body was laid to rest and Astrea was declared the crown princess of Atlantis, Tyr went to speak to Optimus privately.

"I can't thank you enough for risking so much to uncover the truth, Optimus Prime." She said to the Autobots leader. "Had you not gone out of your way to figure things out, humans and merfolk would be at war now, and the Decepticons would be reaping the rewards."

"We're just doing our jobs, your grace." Optimus said politely. "We all know the cost of war, and its lasting damages. The best we can hope for is to make sure that no other species will have to go through the same pain as we have."

"How correct you are." She replied. "You may count on Atlantis' aid in your fight against the Decepticons. And I hope that our alliance can extend past the war as well."

"That would be perfect, your grace." He nodded. "Your help is greatly appreciated."

Tyr smiled and walked over to the vast window that overlooked the entire city. "All I wanted was peace for my people, and after what happened, it's only gotten harder for us to maintain it."

"But considering the alternative, I believe that such a peace is still worth fighting for, no matter what." Optimus said. "There's no such thing as a lasting peace, but our job is making sure we can make it last as long as possible for future generations."

"You have a point." Tyr smiled, thinking of her daughter. "We need to preserve this peace for our children. That's all I could ever want as a mother."

The two leaders stood together in the throne room, watching the underwater world in all its strange, aquatic beauty. The crisis had been averted, but it was just another chapter in the never-ending story that was Terra's rich history.

* * *

**Sorry it took so damn long to post this. I was working on a fantasy story I wanted to post on Fictionpress and got super distracted. It's called Fantasia, and I ****should have the first chapter up in a few days. My fictionpress account is called Saya3x3 by the way. Up next for Transformers Titan is a chapter involving ****Ironhide and an old human friend of his. Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on Wordpress, directions to the link are in my profile. ****Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	6. Long Roads to Ruin part 1

Chapter 6-Long Roads to Ruin part 1

They always started as whispers in his mind before growing louder, with a sense of urgency evident in the tone. Someone was calling out to him. A young girl who was calling his name, calling for help.

"…ro…ide…"

"…ron….ide…"

"Ironhide!"

"Ah!" Ironhide jumped up in his recharge slab, almost snatching up his shotgun in the process. It took him a moment to calm down as he tossed his gun aside and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "For Primus's sake…"

This was the fifth night he had that same dream. It all started just a few nights go out of the blue, and he had no idea what was going on. At first he thought they were just flashbacks to some of his bloodier missions, but after hearing his name being called out, he knew something was up.

In his dream, he couldn't see anything, just colors, like he was floating in the heart of a nebula. All he could hear was a female voice calling out his name. A familiar voice. Just trying to remember where he heard it before made his head ache.

"Ugh, maybe I should talk to an expert on this." Ironhide grumbled to himself.

That expert being Optimus Prime. Early the next morning, Ironhide hunted Optimus down before he could go out on morning patrol and told him about these dreams, hoping that the Prime who had the most supernatural happenings to him on the team would have some kind of idea on what he was dealing with.

"Ironhide, what made you think that I could possibly have anything close to an answer?" Optimus asked.

"I don't know." Ironhide shrugged. "You have the Matrix, and you're pretty much at the heart of every mystical catastrophe, so I just figured you'd have an idea on what was going on."

"Ironhide, having the Matrix doesn't make me an expert on all things supernatural."

"Well indulge me! Throw me a bone here, Prime!" Ironhide said.

Optimus sighed. "You said these dreams didn't feel like dreams, yes? You think they're something else-a message maybe?"

"Kind of. I mean, I know it sounds kind of silly-"

"It's not. There are billions of people on this planet and at least a third of them are espers of various powers and abilities." Optimus said. "It wouldn't be a stretch to say that at least one esper is trying to communicate to you through your dreams."

"That's all find and dandy, but I don't recall giving my mental number to any espers for midnight calls." Ironhide replied.

Optimus gave him a look. "Ironhide, you and I have met on such esper before just last year."

Ironhide looked at him confused, but it slowly dawned on him about the one esper he ran into last year in Azadistan. "Genn."

XXXXXX

Annie loved being the strong, confident girl who was sure of herself and who she was. Her attitude was born from watching her brother be ashamed of his own esper nature for thirteen years-which was tantamount to blasphemy to someone who idolized espers like her. She wanted to be like her father, a proud soldier who was respected by everyone. This never changed after she lost her arm and eye, though she made sure to rein her attitude in after Jezebel incident. She thought that since that incident she would still be unshakeable and firm, someone who had the utmost confidence in herself.

That was until she had her first crush.

Watching her from the bleachers near the football field where the track was, Annie couldn't take her eyes off her as the blonde girl with a light tan (totally natural) ran laps around the field like it was nothing. The girl's name was Brittany, and she was an exchange student who had arrived to Tranquility over the summer for the new school year. Annie heard that Brittany was planning to be an Olympic track and field runner and from what she saw, it was a very possible dream.

'How does she do it?' Annie thought, a hand on her chin as she watched the girl run her fifth lap in a row. 'She barely looks winded. I can barely run that fast unless I had a Decepticon riding my ass.'

She looked away for a moment to adjust the black glove covering her robot arm. The main excuse she was going with was that her arm was badly burned in the fake car crash that took her eye (the only excuse she could think of) and she didn't feel like showing off those terrible and ugly burns. It was a solid enough excuse, so long as the gears in her arm didn't start whirling or something stupid like that.

The sound of the coach's whistle brought Annie back to reality as Brittany finished up her exercises. Spotting the one-eyed girl sitting in the bleachers, Brittany smiled and ran over to her.

"Hey, Annie!" Brittany said. "Free period?"

"Yup. Darren and Gina were busy, so I figured I'd pay you a visit." Annie said, grinning. "You were great out there, Brit. Best in the world."

"Oh please, I still have some things to work on." She replied sheepishly. "The coach says I still need to practice."

"Please, what does she know about you? Your number one fan here says otherwise." Annie said.

Brittany smiled with rosy cheeks. "Thanks."

"Ugh, get a room you two."

Annie scowled as Mandy walked past them, sporting a permanently crooked nose as a result of Annie's assault on her in the girl's bathroom last year, along with a couple of scars on her face. That encounter did little to curb Mandy's mean girl attitude or her animosity towards Annie, though she didn't do anything more other than throw a few scathing remarks her way before peacing out.

"As if the Pirate Queen over here could keep her hands of blondie here long enough to find a room." Dominique, Mandy's lieutenant, laughed.

"Keep talking, Mandy, it doesn't make you any better at sports than Brit." Annie said, crossing her arms. "And you might want to watch your mouth. I've been working on my right hook."

"You wouldn't dare, Cyclops!" Mandy sneered.

"Try me, Scarface." Annie shot back.

Brittany looked between the two girls nervously. Annie had told her about how she had beaten Mandy bloody during a particularly rough time last year, and the crooked nose the bully was sporting was a testament to how strong the girl was when she was angry. For a moment she thought the two girls were going to fight, but thankfully Mandy decided to back off and strutted away with her friend.

"Whatever. Come on, Dominique, we don't want the queer to get any ideas." Mandy sneered.

"I'm so stealing her clothes later." Annie muttered and gave Brittany an apologetic look. "Sorry you had to see that. She's gotten worse since I rearranged her face last year."

"No need to apologize, Annie, I can see why she get's on people's nerves." Brittany said, thinking back to when the girl was giving her a hard time after seeing her out on the track.

"At least her face matches her personality now." Annie quipped, earning her a light slap on the arm. "Hey, you want to hang out after school?"

"Sure! We can head to the mall. I want to see what they've got on sale." Brittany said, getting a groan from Annie.

"Really?"

"Yes, Annie, really. When you hang out with me, you need to expect to visit a lot of clothing stores." She smiled. "Just let me change and clean up a bit then we can head out."

"Sure thing." Annie nodded and watched her friend walk away.

At that moment, Kevin walked up behind her, spotting the dreamy grin on Annie's face. She didn't look at him, but she did accept the fist bump Kevin offered her without a word.

"My man." Kevin laughed.

"Shut up."

XXXXXX

Genn was a member of a Karaba cell Ironhide was forced to infiltrate to retrieve a stasis panel they had in their possession. Back when they first met, she knew him as Aron Hide, and had confided in him her reasoning for joining Karaba was to find her mother, who was taken by slavers when she was a little girl. He hadn't seen her since leaving Azadistan with the panel, but they hadn't really parted on good terms.

Ironhide knew the Karaba cell in Azadistan was acting as a deterrent for foreign powers in return for asylum from the acting queen, Marina Ismal. Their relationship had gotten pretty tense since the raid on the camp, and Ironhide knew that Karaba would be suspiciously eying any pickup truck since the Autobots came out to the world. Not to mention that he'll probably be targeted as soon as he's spotted by their agents.

"You sure you can't just use Teletran to find her?" Ironhide asked Wheeljack.

"I'm sorry, Ironhide, but Karaba has measures to hide themselves from satellite images. It's how they've been able to set up bases all over the planet without countries like Osea being able to find them. Don't ask me how they do it, but trying to find one person affiliated with them isn't possible. At least not yet."

Ironhide frowned. If he couldn't use technology to find Genn, then he was going to have this do this the unconventional way.

That night, he laid on his recharge slab and tried to relax his body. "If Kup ever heard about this, he'll never let me live it down." He grumbled. Hopefully this little connection he has to Genn through his dreams was a two way street or he'd be slag out of luck. "Let's get this done."

He closed his eyes and shut down all his major systems, letting his body fall into recharge mode and slowly went to sleep. It was hard to separate reality from dreams, even for cybertronians, and Ironhide was hardly the type to recognize the difference. But when he heard that distant whisper in his mind, he recognized that little fact almost immediately.

"_Ironhide!" _

Ironhide's eyes shot open and he saw that he was floating in that same black void. He looked around for Genn's voice. "Genn? Answer me, Genn, I know it's you!"

"_Ironhide…help…" _Her voice was becoming stronger now. A light shined on his right and he looked over to see a multicolored cloud forming into a humanoid figure. "_Ironhide…"_

"Genn." He floated over to the cloud, trying to reach her, but unable to do anything more than stop near her. "Genn, I can hear you now, but just barely. What's going on? Where are you?"

"_Ironhide, I can't talk for…long. They'll trace me…if they haven't already." _Genn said, her voice distorted.

"Who are you talking about?"

"_These people…they have strange powers, but I don't…I don't think they're human. I'm in the city Muthia, in Kazakstasn. Go there and I'll be able to find you." _

"Genn, you're going to have to tell me what's going on. Are you in trouble?" He asked.

Genn hung her head. _"I don't know, Ironhide. I found my mother's trail and followed it to this cult…but it's something more than that. It's bigger than anything I could've imagined, and now they're out to get me because of something they think I have. Remember, Ironhide, go to Muthia and I'll explain it all in person. Now I have to go."_

"Genn, wait!"

Ironhide's eyes shot open again and he was back in his quarters. His gears whirled in agitation as he sat up and put a hand to his head. He had no idea what was going on, but he was sure that it was something big, and something that he hoped was punchable. And now he had a place to look for her.

"Muthia."

XXXXXX

'My girl's growing up.' Grindor thought happily as he sat underneath the table in vehicle mode by Annie's feet. 'Never thought Annie would be one for going out on dates.'

Annie and Brittany were sitting at the food court in the mall after spending the afternoon shopping, and by shopping, it was just Brittany dragging Annie around to a few clothing stores. Annie wasn't particularly keen on spending money on clothes she's probably never going to wear, but it was fun enough hanging out with Brittany. It was a bit refreshing to hang out with someone new. Someone human.

"You're joking!" Brittany laughed.

"No, I'm serious! It's faint, but if you look closer you can see the scar on his upper lip where he stapled himself." Annie said. "Debbie said he cried for hours afterwards and he really gave the doctors a hard time."

"Hard to believe that such a quiet boy was so bad at that age." Brittany said.

"He may look quiet and mature, but my baby brother is no less of a kid than I am. You should see his manga collection. Gina really infected his mind with that stuff." Annie grinned evilly. "He even has Sailor Moon!"

"Annie, be nice," The blonde giggled. "I think it's nice that they have the same interests."

"Eh, they're both nerds. Still, it is nice, seeing them so happy. Especially with all the crazy crap that's going on." Annie looked at her gloved hand, which clenched instinctively.

Brittany noticed this. "How's your arm?"

"It's doing fine. I can still feel things a little bit, but most of the nerves in it are almost shot. That, and it looks like raw meat. Which is now how human skin is supposed to look." She sighed. "But I'm better now, aside from walking around with one eye. You think if I ask the Autobots, they'd lend me a robot eye or something?"

"Maybe, if the government lets them." Brittany said. She went silent for a moment, settling with just staring at Annie for a moment. After a while, Annie started to blush from the attention she was getting.

"W-What are you staring at me for?" Annie asked.

"Sorry, I was just wondering what it would be like to have a twin." Brittany smiled. "I always think of things like having a twin that finishes your sentences and hear each other's thoughts, but I wasn't sure if it was true or not. Growing up, it certainly made the idea of having a twin rather cool."

"Don't let the urban legends fool you, having a twin is not as fun as you think it is." Annie warned her with a smile. She could proudly say that she and Darren never finished each other's sentences or shared each other's thoughts, but they did share some level of empathy. Only Annie was sure that Darren was still alive during the Headmaster War, for she would've felt a lot worse after his disappearance if he were dead. "I've never had any of those experiences, but having a twin can either be really fun or really annoying. Fortunately, Darren's not too annoying…most of the time."

"You two are really close."

"We are…or were. Things have been a bit complicated lately due to some…private troubles. We're not fighting or anything, it's just that we're trying to cope with some personal issues." Annie gave a forlorn smile.

Even though six months had passed, the Headmaster War was still fresh in everyone's minds, and it was clear that Darren and Sunstreaker were still suffering from the aftereffects of their merging long after their separation. Sunstreaker made an effort to avoid any and all humans, even the children, and Darren's personality had changed as well. He was prone to fits of anger, lashing out like an angry cobra at random. He developed a temper and a slight mean streak that flared up sometimes, like with Billy and Fred when they thought he would be easy pickings on a bad day. Who would've thought that a single football could land two boys in the nurse's office with bloody faces and wounded prides?

"Family problems?" Brittany inquired.

"You could say that. We have our differences and our fights, but we love each other." Annie shrugged. "All we have are each other and Debbie. We can't really snap at each other's throats when we rely on each other like that."

"That's nice. You look like someone who deserves a lot of love." Brittany smiled. "You're a sweet girl, Annie."

"Oh, stop it." Annie blushed cutely. Then she noticed someone passing by the food court and waved at them. "Oh, there's Justine. Justine!"

Brittany looked over to the girl Annie was calling out to. Justine was a thin, quiet girl with long auburn hair and pale skin, almost to the point of looking sickly. She was dressed in a thick wool sweater that seemed a little big for her, with a plain white shirt underneath and a long ankle-length skirt that definitely looked stitched together. Brittany was surprised at how raggedy the girl looked, it was like she was from the 1940s. How did Annie know this girl?

Justine froze at the sound of her name, but when she looked over, she relaxed slightly, seeing that it was one of _those _girls. She looked around nervously before heading over to their table, where Annie welcomed her over with a smile.

"Hey, Justine, how are you doing?" Annie asked softly.

"I-I'm doing fine." Justine said, glancing over at Brittany. "Hello."

"Hi, I'm Brittany. I just moved here a little while ago." Brittany said.

"Oh, is that so? Welcome to Tranquility, then." Justine nodded to her.

"We're having a little break from Brit's shopping spree before we head home. You want to join us?"

"No, no, I don't have the time. Mother doesn't like it when I go to those stores, and I'm running late as it is. T-Thank you for the offer, though." Justine bowed her head to them and turned to leave. She paused, though, and looked over at Annie. "How is D-Darren? I heard he wasn't feeling well lately."

"Darren's doing fine, Justine. In fact, I'm sure he'd welcome you back to the book club, if you want." Annie said.

Justine nodded, hiding her narrow face behind her curtain of hair. "I-I'll try to be there. T-Thank you."

Annie gave a little hum as Justine walked away in long strides as if to escape the thousand gazes of the people around her. Brittany looked at the retreating girl with a confused look. "Well she was…interesting."

"Justine's a member of the book club at school, though after seeing her mom, I don't think she's at the club just for a love of reading. She's a smart girl that gets shitted on by girls like Mandy every day and it's really hard to watch." Annie said and stood up from her seat. "Come on, let's finish up before it gets dark."

"Sure." Brittany reached for her plate and was about to toss it in the trash before she noticed something odd. "Huh?"

Brittany picked up her plastic spoon, which was cleanly twisted around without any cracks or warping of the plastic, and she was sure it wasn't like that a few minutes ago. When did this happen?

XXXXXX

"I swear, Ironhide, you get involved in some of the strangest slag in this part of the galaxy." Hound remarked.

"The perks of being friends with Prime. Now shut up and gear up. We're out in five." Ironhide said.

Ironhide didn't want to involve too many people in this situation. He only told Optimus and Prowl about his mission and where he was going, and Optimus suggested that he take Hound along for his expert tracking abilities, which Ironhide found hard to argue against. Telling Barnett was out of the question since he was going to meet a member of Karaba, which wouldn't do well for their alliance with the Osean government. Not to mention Muthia was a densely populate area and he didn't want to bring too much attention to himself.

Ironhide and Hound took a ground bridge to the city, and the first thing they noticed upon reappearing in an alley was the heat. The Middle Eastern region was known for its scorching temperatures, and even the two Autobots were forced to ventilate their systems to prevent overheating. They found themselves in the exact location Genn said to meet her at-the city of Muthia.

"So many people." Hound muttered as he and Ironhide parked themselves on the side of the street, watching traffic pass by in a clustered mess that could make a New Yorker faint. They had their holomatters activated to better disguise themselves, looking like two regular men talking amongst a throng of people.

"Can you get a track on her?" Ironhide asked, not taking his eyes off the crowd. He had given Hound Genn's scarf, something she wore back at Karaba to hide her face when needing to escape to local authorities, and he was hoping that Hound could use her scent to track her.

"Maybe. My sensors indicate that she's been in the city, at least, but her exact location is…spotty. I can't determine where she is by scent alone." Hound said.

"She can turn herself into a living sandstorm. I'm amazed you were able to get her scent at all."

"Well, that's all I can really do for you until we actually get on her trail. For all we know, she might not be in the city at all." Hound said, earning an agitated grumble from Ironhide. "Did she give any hint as to where she was heading?"

"No, she just said to head to Muthia, so here we are." Ironhide frowned. "She said that she'll find me, but I don't have a damn clue how she's supposed to do that."

Ironhide really didn't like how this mission was going so far. The Middle East was a horrible place for an innocent person to live, with all the pocket wars and esper warlords flaunting their powers. A young girl like Genn wouldn't last long alone in a place like this, hence why she hooked up with Karaba, the baddest people in the region. Whatever was after her was something bad enough to make her leave the safety of Karaba and run for her life.

"Let's drive around the marketplace." Ironhide suggested. "You might be able to get her trail and-"

A loud crack shot through the air and a purple energy bolt was fired at the street near the two Autobots. People screamed and ran as cars exploded from the blast, and another bolt was fired, destroying more unfortunate vehicles with people inside them. Ironhide and Hound let go of their holomatters and looked around to see where the attacks came from.

"Who shot that?" Hound asked. "Was it an esper?"

"No, that's too normal for us. That blast didn't come from the crowd." Ironhide said, looking down the street.

They soon got their answer as a giant twenty foot golem marched down the street just a few blocks away from them. It was humanoid in configuration, but had six arms, each limb ending in hands glowing with purple energy. An eerie purple glow emanated from its eyes and exposed circuitry, and Ironhide thought it strange at how fluidly it moved despite being an ancient robot. Not that it mattered, as the golem turned its gaze onto them and shot a blast their way.

"Slag!" Ironhide transformed as fast as he could and placed his body in front of the fleeing humans. The energy bolt slammed into his back and he hissed from the stinging pain of his armor burning. Hound rushed forward and fired his shoulder cannon at the golem. The automaton didn't even try to dodge the missile, not really needing to as it simply raised its main right arm and created a shield that the missile exploded against harmlessly.

"Hound, protect the humans! This bastard's mine!" Ironhide growled. He drew his war axes and charged at the dolem.

The robot waited until Ironhide was right on top of it before dodging his axe strikes. Ironhide's movements were fast and strong, but the golem moved just enough so that Ironhide's axes would miss it. When Ironhide spun around to slash at its side, the golem blocked the axe with one of its arms and punched Ironhide in the chest, knocking him back a couple of steps with a burn mark on his chest plate.

"Okay, I'm no expert on golems," Ironhide coughed. "But even you aren't supposed to be this strong."

"Hey, ugly!" The golem turned around to see Hound behind it. It fired an energy bolt at his head, but it surprisingly passed right through his body. "Psyche!"

"Ha!" Ironhide threw his axe and it buried itself into the back of the golem's head. He ran in and swung his axe at its side, but the golem wasn't as affected by the attacks as it should be. It tore the axe from its side and fired a bolt into his chest.

"Ironhide!" Hound watched shocked as Ironhide flew back from the blast, hitting the ground hard and smashing into an empty car. The golem then grabbed the axe still stuck in the back of its head and threw it at Hound, skillfully digging the axe blade into his shoulder. "Frag!"

Hound opened fire on the golem, but its surface-area shield blocked his shots. It charged at him and Hound met his charge with one of his own, grappling with the robot to push it back. He struggled to stay firm as he was slowly being pushed back by its strength.

"Just stay down you piece of junk!" Hound growled through gritted teeth. The golem was suddenly grabbed from behind and lifted off its feet before being thrown to the ground. "Ironhide?"

Ironhide forced his body to keep moving even as he felt the effects of those direct hits he took. Something about those energy bolts he was hit with made it hard to move, and the spots where he was hit still hurt. Despite this, he landed a few hard punches to the golem's head before jumping off and picked up his axe. "Come on, ugly."

The golem pushed itself to its knees and lunged at Ironhide-then things got really weird. A man in a white suit came out of nowhere (as in literally appeared out of nowhere in a flash of light) and jumped on the golem's back.

"Where did he come from?" Hound exclaimed.

The man channeled a powerful surge of purple energy from his hands into the robot, causing the golem to freeze up as if in the throes of a seizure. The man showed visible strain from doing this and looked over at the stunned Autobots.

"What are you waiting for?" He grunted. "Take its head off!"

Ironhide obliged, running forward and digging his axe into the golem's neck, severing several connecting cables and beheading the machine. The headless body slumped and fell over, the purple glow fading from its body. The man finally stopped his attack with a relieved sigh and hopped off the dead machine.

"Thank you, I didn't know how long I could hold it back." He said, brushing dirt off his suit. "Could've been a little faster there, though."

"I'll be sure to remember that next time." Ironhide said as he and Hound walked up to him. "Now who the hell are you?"

"My name is Dao, and I have been looking for you." The man said.

"Really?" Hound said skeptically.

"Yes, well, not you, you're just a tag along." Dao said to Hound. "I meant Ironhide here."

Ironhide narrowed his eyes. Dao looked like a reasonably fit dark skinned man in his mid-thirties with no hair and a curly brown mustache and goatee that was well-groomed for a native to this region. He looked normal, but appearances can be deceiving. "What do you want with me?"

"I'd rather give you the full explanation in private, away from the battle zone." Dao motioned to the ravaged street, headless golem and oncoming police cars. "But simply put, I've been looking for you at Genn's request. She asked me to find you if anything happened to her."

Ironhide narrowed his eyes and changed to vehicle mode, popping open his door. "Hop in, baldy. We need to talk."

XXXXXX

Genn never realized how much she hated tight spaces until now. She often slept in large rooms or in the hazardous outdoors of Azadistan, unchained and free like sand in the wind. But this chamber…no, this box made her borderline claustrophobic. No thanks to those stupid glowing glyphs on the walls, she couldn't use her esper powers, and they kept her up at night…if she even knew what time it was.

"Séance, any luck on your end?" She called out to the other cell next to hers.

"Nothing, my powers are useless here too." Her friend said through the wall. "They definitely came prepared."

"Considering who they're being led by, they need to be." Genn sighed, running a hand through her long lavender hair.

"Genn, are you sure your message got through? Cause I think they're going to move us soon." Séance said.

"My message reached him, but the real question is if Dao can find them in time."

They were quiet for a moment before Séance asked, "What do you think they'll do to us?"

"What any good cult would do to its prisoners, Séance," Genn said, idly rubbing the small horns in her forehead. "Offer up sacrifices to their god."

Genn wrapped her arms around her legs and leaned against the wall, lost in thought. She really hoped Dao got to Ironhide before the cultists did. After seeing what she saw, Genn was now convinced that these people wouldn't be happy sharing this world with another alien species.

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. Got sidetracked with my original story on fictionpress and the unholy amount of other stuff I have on this site. I won't ****spoil anything here, but Ironhide and Genn are about to encounter a cult of people who we've already met in the middle of book 2. And no, they're not dolems ****they're something slightly less worse than them. Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on wordpress, directions to the link are in my ****profile. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	7. Long Roads to Ruin part 2

Chapter 7-Long Roads to Ruin part 2

It was recess at Heartsgrace Middle School and Darren was spending it alone on the school's rooftop reading a book. Annie was hanging out with Brittany again and Gina was working on an important science project with Penny. With Brianna absent from school today, he was all by himself.

Being alone was something he was feeling a lot of recently in the past six months. Ever since the Autobots publicly revealed themselves, the usual "bonding" missions the kids would have with them were few and far in between. It was to better keep the children and their talos a secret from the public to avoid sparking unwanted inquiries from more suspicious elements within the government, which was understandable, but it meant that the children rarely got to go out on missions anymore aside from the usual recon stuff. These days, they just hung out at the Minicons' new base in Yellowstone. Annie and Gina weren't very happy about how things were turning out for them, and Darren…well, Darren was restless.

He should've been glad about the break they were getting. After all the crap he went through with OZ and Sunstreaker, this was a welcome reprieve, aside from the horrific nightmares he got from Sunstreaker, but he couldn't allow himself a moment's respite despite the chance being given to him on a silver platter.

Sunstreaker avoided him like the plague, not even looking at him when they were near each other, as if he was a cancer expelled from his body that he didn't want to think about. As if that wasn't bad, Darren had become on edge 24/7, cautiously scanning the area for threats, his muscles tense as if expecting an attack at any given moment, feeling like he was being watched. He acted like some retired soldier with PTSD and it was hell on his personal life. How the hell was he supposed to act normal after going through all that stuff? And why did he feel so restless?

"Heaven above, I'm hopeless." Darren sighed and closed his book. "I finally get a chance to return to a normal life and I can't even sit still without thinking my art teacher is an OZ agent."

He heard the door to the staircase open up but didn't open his eyes until he heard a familiar voice. "Yo, Darren!"

He looked over and saw Brianna standing there with that big smile on her face, with someone standing behind her. "Hey, Brianna. What's up?"

"Just seeing how you were doing. I was coming to hang out with you when I ran into this girl here." Brianna stepped aside and nudged her companion forward. It was Justine, who stared at Darren like a deer in headlights.

"Justine? Hey, it's good to see you." Darren smiled.

"H-Hello, Darren." Justine said softly, looking everywhere but him. "Um, if t-this is a bad time, I can come back later…"

"Nonsense, it's clear that Darren needs some company! Come on." Brianna dragged the poor girl over to where Darren was sitting and sat next to him, still holding Justine's hand.

"Brianna, don't drag her around like that. You're scaring her." Darren admonished.

"So, how are things are the book club?" Darren asked. "I'm sorry I haven't been there in the last few weeks. I've been dealing with some…personal stuff."

"N-No, that's okay." Justine said. "Your sister mentioned that you were having a rough time, s-so I understand. I hope you're doing okay."

"Thanks." Darren said honestly. "I'll be back at the club this week, so you don't have to worry anymore. And you're welcome to join us, Brianna. I heard that you aren't a part of any after school clubs yet."

"Me, join a book club? Sorry, Darren, but I don't think my reading material is suitable for that stuff." Brianna said. Darren raised an eyebrow.

"Really? What kind of books do you read?" He asked.

"Mostly catalogues…gun catalogues. I'm a bit of a gun nut." She admitted. "Long story short, I like things that go boom. Guns, rocket launchers, those crazy laser things the Atlantians have, you name it. I have tons of books at home and stuff."

"A-And your father lets you read them?" Justine asked. Brianna shrugged.

"Hey, he encourages it. He thinks that my interest in guns is interesting, or something like that. I'm pretty sure if we lived in another state, he would've showed me how to use one…and still might for that matter."

"Well, the book club could always use a new member…considering Justine and I are just two thirds of the damn club." Darren grumbled.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Darren packed up his things and helped the girls up. "Let's get going before we're late for class."

"Sure." Brianna looked at her schedule. "Hey, Justine, what class do you have-whoa!"

Brianna tripped over her feet and fell forward. Both Darren and Justine acted at the same time, reaching out with their hands yet not touching Brianna. Brianna closed her eyes and braced for impact, but to her surprise, she didn't feel the hard stone of the roof hit her face. She didn't even feel herself falling anymore. She opened her eyes and saw that she was floating horizontally above the ground, held aloft by some unseen force.

"What the hell?" She whispered in shock.

Brianna was surprised, but no more than Darren and Justine, who stood there with their hands held out, both children keeping Brianna in the air with similar powers.

"D-Darren…"

"Justine…"

"You're an esper?!" They both exclaimed.

XXXXXX

The man named Dao had taken Ironhide and Hound to an old car lot on the other side of the city, far from the place where they battled the golem. Ironhide was tense upon hearing that Genn might be in trouble and he was eager for some information on what the hell was going on.

'That golem was stronger and faster than it should've been, so someone must have tampered with it. And that same someone sent it to snuff us out.' Ironhide thought. 'I hate running into problems I can't blow up.'

Once they were inside the lot, Dao met up with another acquaintance of his, a young man clad in dark, form fitting clothes with a long hood covering the upper half of his face, leaving only his mouth open. Dao quickly explained the situation to him and looked to the two Autobots, who were now in robot mode.

"Ironhide, Hound, this is Jotaru, another one of Genn's friends." Dao said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Autobots." Jotaru said calmly. Hound wondered why he couldn't see Jotaru's eyes despite the man looking up at them.

"Charmed." Ironhide said, wanting to get down to business. "Now you going to tell me what happened to Genn?"

Dao traded a glance with Jotaru and sighed. "We ran into Genn and her friend Séance a few months ago back in the deserts between Azadistan. I'm sure you're already aware of Genn's search for her missing mother. Well, they were following a lead on the woman's location that led them straight into the crosshairs of this secret cult."

"A cult that, as it turns out, was also hunting us down." Jotaru said.

"Why?" Asked Hound.

"Because of what we are. You see, Jotaru and I, and just recently Genn and Séance, had discovered that we are not…fully human. We are the hybrid offspring what a human parent and what we know as Dire Wraiths."

Ironhide scowled, his already high agitation levels rising at the name. "Dire Wraiths, on this world?"

"I think I've heard of them before." Hound said.

"They're a species native to a region of space on the other side of the galaxy. Elita-1 and her team had a bad run in with them along with Ember a few thousand years ago, around the time the Galactic Coalition made contact with some group of armored stiffs called the Solstar Order." Ironhide explained. "That god forsaken incident was kept under wraps and both sides made an effort to forget about the Order and the Wraiths as we continued the war."

"So you've encountered them. Good, that saves me a lot of time. Allow me to show you something else that might prove our claim." Dao said.

Dao grimaced and flexed his arms, and before the Autobots' startled eyes, an extra pair of arms sprouted from the man's shoulders, tanned and muscular just like he was. As for Jotaru, he pulled back his hood, to reveal his face-or most of it. Smooth patches of skin were located where his eyes should be, and a single third eye was located on his forehead, moving and blinking as a normal eye would. Dao grinned at Ironhide and Hound's shocked expressions.

"That caught your attention, didn't it?" He said. "Ironhide, I'm sure you've noticed Genn's small horns. Those are a sign of her Dire Wraith heritage, though Séance is probably the most human-looking of us all. We half-bloods, as they call us, appear as mostly human aside from these odd features that we have. That, as well as the powers we inherit from them. Admittedly Genn is the prettiest of our little group here."

Dao's face fell as he thought about Genn. "We don't know a lot about the Dire Wraiths, or what they want. All that we know about them is that they use incredibly strong powers, can shapeshift and, as you've just confirmed, they're aliens."

"They've been hunting down half-bloods like us for who knows how long for their own purposes." Jotaru said. "They ambushed us a few days ago, after Gen sent you that message. They had a dozen of those supped up golems backing them up and we were separated. Genn and Séance were captured while we made it out in one piece. Luckily, we've been keeping track of their movements and we know where they are."

"Say no more. You had me at keeping track." Ironhide said, charging up his cannons. "Those bastards won't know what hit 'em."

"Whoa, Ironhide, hold up. If they have more of those golems in reserve, we might not make it past the front gate before their entire army comes down on us." Hound said. "Speaking of which, how did they make those things anyway? I thought they were supposed to be ancient."

"Dire Wraiths have great powers at their disposal." Dao said. "Controlling and enhancing a golem is no hard task for them. The best way to truly describe their powers is…magic."

Hound stared at him for a moment before turning to Ironhide and saying, "You weren't kidding when you said this planet was fragged up, Ironhide."

"Look, forget about the finger details and tell me you at least have an idea about where they are." Ironhide sighed.

"Even better, we know exactly where they are." Jotaru said. "They've made a base inside a canyon just a few miles outside the city. It's hidden very well, but we know its exact location."

"But we better move fast, because it looked like they were planning to move." Dao added.

"Then we better get a move on." Ironhide said as he and Hound transformed. "Let's go save the kids before they get caught up in anymore dark magic slag."

XXXXXX

"Do you think she'll come?" Brianna asked.

"I hope so. This isn't something I want to draw out any longer." Darren replied/

The two were waiting in the forest outside of Tranquility, where Darren usually went to practice his telekinesis in secret with Kevin whenever they had the chance. It had been a tense afternoon, with Darren and Justine just discovering each other's secrets, and also blatantly exposing them in front of Brianna, who seemed a bit too calm for his comfort. Justine had high tailed it off the roof afterwards and Darren wanted Brianna to tell her that they should meet up to talk about it in private. Right now, they were still waiting for Justine.

"So…you're an esper." Brianna said, testing the waters.

"Yeah, that's right." Darren said, looking at his hands. "Not exactly how I wanted to tell anyone."

"Why do you look so afraid? I don't care if you're an esper." Brianna told him. When he gave her a disbelieving look, she snorted. "Darren, I'm not going to call the ERD on you. Believe it or not, not everyone wants to lynch espers on sight. Besides, if you knew the people I hang out with at home, you'll understand that being an esper hardly phases me."

"Wow, okay. That's…that's a big relief actually." Darren chuckled, feeling his nerves calm down. He wasn't expecting Brianna to be so excepting of him.

"Did you know that Justine was an esper?" She asked.

"No, I just found out myself. Honestly, I thought I was the only esper in the school." Darren said, deciding not to mention Kevin. "It feels good to know that I'm not alone in this town. With how crazy things are getting with Karaba, I need something to feel good about."

They heard the bushes rustling and saw Justine's lithe form step out of the brush, looking even more nervous than she was earlier that day. Darren smiled brightly and waved her over.

"Justine! I'm so glad you came." He said happily. "I was afraid you wouldn't come."

"I shouldn't be here." Justine whispered. "My mother doesn't like it when I got to places I shouldn't be near."

Brianna walked over to Justine and took her hand. "Don't worry, Justine, you're among friends now. There's nothing to be scared about. Darren just wants to help you and I'm here for moral support."

Justine's cheeks turned rosy as she felt Brianna's soft hand grasp her smaller one and lead her over to where Darren was standing.

"She's right. What we say here is going to stay between the three of us." He said softly. "No need to be scared."

Justine looked down and nodded, stilling holding Brianna's hand.

"So, first things first. Were you always an esper?" He asked.

"Yes, I was born like this. I didn't really discover my powers until I started making my toys float as a little girl." Justine said. She lifted a hand and a boulder sitting in the small lake near them floated out of the water. Darren and Brianna gaped at her as she moved a boulder the size of a car effortlessly. "I've always been able to do this. I think I was getting stronger as I got older."

"Holy…" Darren breathed. "I couldn't move anything bigger than a couch until last autumn. You're strong."

"I-It's nothing." Justine blushed. "I rarely do anything more than that, and I never do it at home. Mother doesn't like it when I use my powers."

Brianna frowned. "Why? She doesn't like it when you move things like that?"

"Mother…has a low opinion of espers. She says that they're unnatural, the children of the devil." Darren and Brianna looked disgusted at that. "She told me that they were an affront to nature. And me being an esper, well… she has a very low opinion of me too."

"Now that's bullshit." Brianna snapped. "You have no control over how you're born. And she shouldn't be talking about espers being monsters when she treats her own daughter like trash!"

Justine jumped at the sound of her voice and the boulder dropped to the ground, splashing Darren with water. "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay." Darren waved his hands and the water flowed off his clothes, completely drying them.

"You can do that?" Brianna gaped.

"Yeah, of course I can. I've been using my powers since I was a child, and I've gotten better over the past year. If you've seen some of the things I can do, your jaw will drop." He grinned.

"Um…" Darren turned to Justine, who was nervously pushing her fingers together. "Could you teach me how to do that? I don't have good control over my powers, and sometimes if I'm not careful I make something break or make them float without realizing it."

Darren almost refuted her disparaging remark about herself, but then he realized that Justine, for all her greater power, lacked the control he had over his telekinesis. She could probably cut down half the trees in the area with a single thought, but would completely fail at putting a thread through a needle. That might explain her lack of finer control.

"Sure, I'll teach you. Not just how to remove water from your clothes, but a whole lot of other things too. You have a lot of power, but you lack the fine motor controls to do it, but I can teach you all of that." Darren said, smiling brightly.

"R-Really? You're willing to do all that for me?" Justine's eyes brightened a bit and she gripped Brianna's hand tighter.

"Sure! It'd be a shame to just let your powers go to waste like that. If I can do it, so can you."

"Hey, can I watch too?" Brianna asked.

"Of course you can. It can be our little afterschool activity together." Darren said, feeling even more elated.

He didn't know if it was because Justine was another telekinetic like him or if he pitied her on some level for what she had to go through at home, but he was going to make sure that Justine got all the help he could give her. It was a decision that would change everything for the three of them in the near future.

XXXXXX

The hidden base where the dire wraiths were based out of was basically a remodeled temple complex built into a canyon a few miles away from Muthia. The temple was one a popular prayer area for the king of a Gaian cult who once called his place home, and was left abandoned for hundreds of years until now. When the dire wraiths moved in, there had been numerous accounts of strange lights, sounds, and…screams, coming from the area, and the locals were quick to deem the place a no-go zone.

A security detail led Genn and Séance through a massive hall leading toward the main prayer chamber. Both teens were dirty and tired, but unharmed, though Genn had an inhibitor collar suppressing her esper powers. The young woman saw other soldiers, human or dire wraith she could not tell, packing up their equipment and weapons and handing crates off to the enchanted golems.

"They're packing up quickly." Séance noted. He was a young man of seventeen with long, spiky black hair and gray eyes with a lean body clad in a black sweater and pants. "Why do you think they're moving already?"

"I don't know, but judging from how urgently they're moving, I guess it wasn't planned." Genn said. She looked at the other disguised wraiths, all sporting human forms. Dire wraith magic allow them to take on the forms of any being whose genetic information they've assimilated into their bodies. The forms they were of people whose genetic information was stolen from them moments before they were slain. She had seen it happen first hand and it still gave her nightmares.

When they reached the inner chambers that were located deeper in the temple complex, a guard knocked on the door. "Priestess, we've brought the prisoners."

"Send them in."

They opened the doors and escorted Genn and Séance inside. The prayer chamber was very large and spacey. There was little much else in the way of furnishings aside from a dirty carpet and a broken statue of a maternal looking woman sitting cross legged behind the altar-the goddess of Terra, Gaia. Anything else of value had been plundered ages ago, so now the chamber was being used as a sort of war room for the group's high priestess, Madrid.

"Genn, Séance, welcome!" Madrid greeted them happily. It's been a while since we last met. Sorry about that, I've been busy."

"Don't worry, we managed just fine without having to deal with you." Genn growled.

Madrid was a high ranking dire wraith who acted as the high priestess and living mouthpiece for the wraith's "god", whom Genn only knew as the Absence. She had the form of a voluptuous woman with short lavender hair and dark skin with green eyes. All she wore was a long black robe with gold trimmings that hugged her form for freedom of movement. A more alluring form than what she really looked like.

'Looks like her troops finally convinced her that humans don't usually walk around butt naked.' Genn thought with a scowl.

"Now, now, don't be like that. I was just about to tell you of our travel plans." Madrid said. "You see, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we're moving ahead of schedule. Don't worry, I'll make so that you can actually look out the window this time, though there's not much else to see around here."

"Go to hell." Genn snarled.

"Tsk, tsk, such temper. And here I was going to let you see your mother again for the trip to our secret base." Madrid snapped her fingers and a bolt of purple energy burst forth next to her. When the smoke cleared, a raven haired dark skinned woman clad in a black hajib appeared and fell to her knees, breathless.

"Mom!" Genn cried out.

"Genn?" Genn's mother, Kiran, breathed. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me they've captured you too!"

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing. You two get to spend our travels together, as always. That's what you've wanted since joining Karaba, right Genn?" Madrid smirked.

Kiran stumbled towards Genn, who quickly took hold of her mother as she glared at Madrid. "What do you want with us? What did we ever do to you?"

"You were born." Madrid's answer was quick and to the point, lacking any of the sadistic mocking that she displayed since capturing Genn and Séance. "We came to this world with the intent of making it our own. This beautiful world that would've been perfect for our kind. But I never imagined that some of our own kind would mate with you humans, and even spawn half-bloods. It's an affront to everything we stand for. It's an insult to our god!"

"You're just angry that some of your people decided to preserve what makes this world to bright and vibrant." Kiran said, glaring up at Madrid. "You can't accept that there are some among you who won't follow you in your path of conquest, so you demonize them and their families. You're no different from every human dictator in history!"

Madrid's face darkened considerably, but Kiran, the brave mother that she was, refused to let anyone debase her husband, the man who gifted her with such a wonderful daughter. Genn held her mother behind her as Madrid looked like she was ready to attack them, but then a soldier came rushing in with an alarmed look on his face.

"What is it?" Madrid growled.

"Ma'am, we're under attack by those two Autobots from before." He announced, surprising everyone there.

"How did they…" Madrid's face went stone cold as she answered her own question. There were still two half-bloods out there in open opposition to their plans, and it wasn't hard to make the connection. "Send out the golems, and take your battle positions. We'll tear those heathens apart once and for all!"

She glared down at Kiran, Genn and Séance and ordered them to stand up. "You three are coming with me. You can all die together as sacrifices to the Absence!"

XXXXXX

The plan that Dao had come up with was working surprisingly well for the Autobots. Considering the amount of firepower that they were up against, the most suitable way of getting inside would be through deception and misdirection. Ironhide and Hound would drive up to the front gates before launching a very loud opening attack on the compound. Once the soldiers inside were riled up, Hound would create two holograms of himself and Ironhide to act as a decoy, with Dao using his powers to give them tangible physical forms to complete the illusion. As for the real Autobots, Jotaru would go along with them to put up an illusion to mask their presence, essentially making them invisible.

"Looks like the magic man's plan worked." Hound whispered. The front gates to the compound were already sliding open for the golems to be deployed.

"Good, now let's get moving." Ironhide said. Carrying Jotaru in one arm, he and Hound waited for the golems to stomp past them before running through the front gates. "Now, Jotaru!"

Jotaru, whose arms were raised as he maintained their mystical camouflage, released his hold on the illusion spell and the two Autobots suddenly appeared in the middle of the compound. The soldiers had no time to be surprised before Ironhide and Hound started open firing on everything they could see.

"How the hell did they get into the base?" Someone shouted.

"Someone get the sages, our golems are being torn apart!" Another man shouted.

'Sages?' Hound thought, wondering what that meant. Next to him, Ironhide was hacking away at one of the remaining golems in the base with his tomahawk, while Jotaru was attacking the armed men shooting at them. At that moment, he saw four robed men running out of the main temple, their hands crackling with energy. "Ironhide, on your six!"

Ironhide looked back just in time to see the four men undergo a rather gruesome transformation. Their robes tore apart as their bodies released energy discharges. Their tan skin turned deathly pale, their arms splitting apart into separate limbs with their fingers tipped with sharp claws. Their heads elongated and their eyes became thin, red slits while their mouths grew wide with razor sharp teeth. Torsos lengthened and spines grew along their bodies. The transformation literally took seconds, but it felt like hours given how grotesque the change was. What was formerly human had now become alien and demonic in appearance.

"Oh slag." Ironhide said and dived to the ground as the sages unleashed a barrage of purple energy bolts that slammed into the canyon wall, blasting apart large chunks of rock and sending debris flying everywhere. Jotaru sprinted towards the men and swiped his hand, ensnaring a couple of falling boulders in a purple light and sending them at the sages.

"Don't let them get any closer to the base!" One of the sages said as he destroyed the boulders. "Call back the golems, damn it!"

Before he could shout anymore orders, his entire world was engulfed in fire as Hound shot a laser blast at him that killed two of the sages. The other two immediately started attacking him, forcing him to use a destroyed golem frame as a shield. Hound hissed as a bolt tore through his right arm, burning straight through his armor.

"Ironhide, watch out for those energy bolts. They can tear into you without a problem." Hound said.

"Roger that." Ironhide threw his tomahawk into the head of a golem that was charging him and charged up his cannons, opening fire on them. Making short work of the sages, he turned to Jotaru. "Jotaru, find Genn and Séance! We won't last long out here like this!"

Jotaru nodded and made his way to the temple, cutting down any soldier in his path. Ironhide turned around and saw Dao having some trouble with the remaining golems he wasn't able to shoot down. Rolling his shoulders, he charged at the machines and shot at them. As one-sided this fight was, he was going to make sure that these bastards got what's coming to them.

XXXXXX

Jotaru made it into the base with little problem. Everyone was more concerned with the half-human and two Autobots currently tearing up everything. Whereas Dao's powers were more combat oriented, thanks to his years of practice with them, Jotaru's powers were more stealth oriented. He snuck into the temple and searched the halls for his friends while avoiding the soldiers running around to rush into battle.

Thankfully it didn't take him long to find them. He could hear Madrid's enraged shouting in the next hall over. When the group turned to the corner towards his position, Jotaru quickly leapt up onto the roof and held his position as they walked below him, unaware of his presence.

"How the hell can two Autobots and two half-breeds give you people so many problems?" Madrid shouted angrily. She was already getting tons of casualty reports from her troops, and her only means of countering the Autobots were being systematically disabled by that old man! "Just have the sages converge on both Autobots at the same time. Don't give them a chance to fight back!"

"_We're doing the best we can, priestess, but we the half-blood has taken out most of our golems." _

"Then use the ATT tanks! They're not there for decoration!" Madrid raged.

"Seems like you're busier than usual, Madrid. I take it your plans aren't going as smoothly as you hoped." Genn couldn't help but taunt the woman who spent so long flaunting her power.

Madrid spun around and backhanded Genn into Kiran's arms. "Don't act like you're in the clear, little girl!" She snarled at her prisoners. "I fully intend on getting out of this with everything intact, and there's nothing you or your friends can do about it!"

Madrid felt someone tap her on the shoulder and she whirled around to unleash her frustration on the poor soul unlucky enough to interrupt her planning. "What do you want?!"

"My friends." Jotaru said before flipping back his hood to reveal his third eye. Madrid was blinded by a bright red flash from the eye and Jotaru landed a punch to her face accompanied with an energy blast that sent her crashing through the wall.

The four guards that were with them immediately changed into their true forms, tall, lanky humanoid aliens with grotesque arms and claws and teeth. They pointed their rifles at Jotaru, but he thrust his arms out and sent out three energy bolts. Two stabbed into the throats of the first two dire wraiths, but the third was embedded in Genn's inhibitor collar, shattering it.

Kiran yelped as her daughter suddenly burst into a cloud of sand, which fell upon the two dire wraiths and tore away at their skin. They flailed helplessly as Genn's sand particles bite and ripped into their skin like tiny shards of glass. This allowed Jotaru enough time to charge them and slit their throats, killing them instantly.

Once they were sure that there were no more threats, Genn reformed her body and ran up to Jotaru, pulling him into a hug.

"Jotaru! You made it!" Genn said happily.

"Hey, Jotaru." Séance said, walking up to them with Kiran. "How did you get here?"

"Your message got through." Jotaru said to Genn. "We ran into your Autobot friend and his comrade after they ran into one of Madrid's golems. They're all outside fighting them off."

"Then we better go help them." Séance said.

Genn turned to her mother. "Mom, I have to go right now. My friends need my help. Jotaru will stay here with you and bring you someplace safe."

"I understand. I'm just happy to see you again." Kiran said and hugged Genn once more. "Go. Don't let me keep you here."

Genn nodded and followed Séance down the hall towards the courtyard. As Jotaru escorted Kiran to safety, no one noticed that in the chamber where Madrid was blasted into, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

XXXXXX

Ironhide grunted as he took a punch to face by one of the golems before grabbing its arm and ripping it off. A well-placed missile shot from Hound took out a chunk of its head and Ironhide used its failing body to deflect the energy bolts fired at him by the other golems.

"How many of these things are there?" Ironhide growled.

"These should be the last three." Dao said, his four arms waving in the air and channeling energy into the earth, causing rocks and debris to fly at the remaining soldiers that were still shooting at them. "Once we clear out all their mechanized units, we need to get the others and leave before-gah!"

A powerful energy bolt slammed into Dao's chest and sent him crashing into the side of a smoking AT tank. Ironhide and Hound looked towards the temple's entrance, where they saw Madrid marching towards them with a look of pure rage on her beautiful face.

"I did not spend half of my life searching for a pure, suitable world to inhabit only to have a bunch of marauding machines ruin it for me!" Madrid snarled, energy crackling off her form as her features began to change. "I'll make sure to send your rusting corpses to your leader once I'm done carving you out!"

Madrid's body morphed in a powerful discharge of energy, her human skin shredding apart to reveal the gray skin and scaly limbs underneath. Her arms grew longer and hollowed out as if only her skin was touching the bones and nothing else. Her hair vanished and her skull lengthened a bit as her mouth and teeth grew. Madrid had revealed her true form, that of a Dire Wraith sorceress.

"I forgot how ugly you bastards were." Ironhide said and fired two laser blasts at Madrid.

"Stupid machine." Madrid held up a hand and the blasts slammed harmlessly against the barrier she erected. "Did you forget the last time our races had made contact? I don't think I need to remind you heathens of all people!"

Madrid rushed forward and clapped her hands together before slamming them into the ground. Energy surged into the earth before two dozen stone pillars shot up and slammed into Hound with great force. She leapt aside to dodge the laser blast shot at her and swiped her arm, sending an arc of energy at Ironhide, which he dodged. When Hound took aim at her with his missile launcher, Madrid crossed her two index fingers together and muttered a word, and the launcher in Hound's shoulder exploded in his face.

"Oh how satisfying this is." Madrid laughed. "This is retribution for getting involved in our war 200 years ago you robotic bastards!"

"You shouldn't have gotten involved with the Cons in the first place!" Ironhide shouted. He ran forward and collapsed into his vehicle mode, driving at Madrid at full speed. Madrid snorted before raising her arm and waiting for Ironhide to get close enough before punching forward.

There was a flash of light, followed by an explosion before Ironhide was flung into the air, flipping over Madrid's head and was forced back into his robot mode before crashing to the ground. He grunted in pain as energy crackled along his body, his joints and servos locking up by some unknown force.

"We've spent centuries researching ways that will kill your kind, Autobot. Slow, painful ways that will break you down bolt by bolt." Madrid said, raising her glowing hands. "I'm going to enjoy presenting your head to your little half-blood friend!"

"Don't you dare!" A sandstorm slammed into Madrid, grabbing her and spinning her around in the air before throwing her directly into the metal first of Hound, who punched the dire wraith into the ground. There was a sickening thud as Madrid's body bounced off the ground three times before landing on her back. Genn's body reformed from the sand and she stood in front of Ironhide protectively. "Ironhide, are you alright?"

"Genn…I can barely…move." Ironhide grunted.

"Stay still, it'll wear off." Genn said. "Séance, I need some help over here!"

Séance ran over to the downed Autobot and looked him over. "It's going to take some time but I can absorb most of the energy holding him."

"Do it." She said, looking back towards Hound.

Even with a wounded shoulder, Hound was holding his own against an equally wounded Madrid, though just barely. The priestess's body was already healing itself, broken bones snapping back together while she hurled energy bolts at the Autobot, hound nearly cut her in half with his combat knife before a bolt stabbed into his shoulder and nearly took his arm off. Madrid crouched low to the ground before sending out another energy arc that took Hound's legs off at the knees.

When Ironhide saw Hound go down, he weakly raised one of his arms and fired a blast at Madrid. She spun around and deflected the blast, looking furious at this point. "I thought you had enough, but you Autobots seem to be gluttons for punishment!"

She weaved her hands in the air before preparing to launch a devastating attack at Ironhide, but Genn stepped in front of her friend and changed her arm into one long sand whip, lashing out and cracking it against Madrid's throat. Madrid stumbled back, hacking and coughing while clutching at the bleeding skin at her throat.

"You're not hurting anyone else today!" Genn declared.

Madrid didn't even bother arguing with her. She just lashed out with a flurry of bolts that destroyed the ground and vehicles around her. Genn dissolved into her sandstorm form and scattered across the area like an actual storm, easily dodging the assault that Madrid threw at her. Madrid was quick to realize that she wouldn't win like this, so she performed another series of hand gestures and clapped her hands together. This sent out a pulsewave throughout the courtyard and when it hit Genn, she screamed as every particle of her sand body was forced back together, reforming her physical body.

Genn fell to the ground writhing as Madrid forced her back into her human form and was pinned to the ground as the wraith priestess used her power to restrain her.

"You've caused me too many problems this past month, little girl. You struggle and you fight, but for what? Your gods are false, your own species seeks to annihilate you for a simple genetic anomaly, and your family lives in the world's largest dust bowl." Madrid taunted the girl. "Did you really think a bastard child like you has a chance against your betters? Fighting one skilled in dark magics such as I is little more than suicide."

Genn gritted her teeth and struggled to get to her knees. She ignored Madrid's taunts and tried to resist the hold on her body, lifting her head to glare up at the women.

"Don't listen to her, Genn!" Ironhide yelled. "She ain't got slag on you. She's just scared of what you are. What you represent to her!"

"Silence, machine!" Madrid slashed her hand and released a bolt at Ironhide, who jumped up and charged at her. Séance snatched up an assault rifle and fired at Madrid.

As Ironhide and Séance fought Madrid off, Genn focused on the power she felt within her, the same power she used to contact Ironhide in his dreams. She didn't know if all dire wraith hybrids like Dao and Jotaru could harness the same energy that the pureblood wraiths used in their magic, but Genn somehow felt that spark inside of her. The spark that hinted at that special power she inherited from her father, a dire wraith who betrayed his own kind to make a family on Terra.

Suddenly the pressure forcing her down didn't feel so heavy now. Genn opened her eyes and saw that the energy assaulting her body was now being drawn into her, making her glow. She no longer felt weak, she felt stronger, powerful.

Séance cried out as he was blasted off his feet, his rifle shattering like glass in his hands. Ironhide came to his aid, sidestepping a blast aimed at his head and swinging a first into Madrid's body, smacking her away. This time, her wounds healed quicker and she landed atop a destroyed tank as Ironhide came at her again. She growled and flashed her hands, encasing Ironhide's body in an energy net that froe him in his tracks.

"You refusal to die is only going to make your death all the more humiliating, Autobot!" Madrid snarled.

Ironhide grunted as her net tightened around him, holding him in place, but he managed a weak grin that enraged Madrid further.

"What are you grinning about?" She demanded.

"Just…that you're going to really hate me in two seconds." He said.

Madrid felt something behind her and turned her head to see the glowing form of Genn shooting at her in an inhuman burst of speed. Genn let out a roar and slammed her fist into Madrid's back, unleashing a powerful surge of energy that engulfed Madrid's body, tearing apart her cloak and ripping into her body. The priestess was sent crashing along the ground, her hold on Ironhide broken as she came to a painful stop. Blood leaked from her wounds as she whimpered and groaned like a wounded predator, burns lining her leathery skin.

"How…how can you…do this?" Madrid groaned, trying to sit up. The very thought of some half-breed besting her kept her going even as her body was failing. She tried to fight back, but Genn waved her arm and fired another blast that destroyed Madrid's left arm at the elbow, causing her to howl.

"Thanks, kid. Now I've got this." Ironhide stood up and pointed his cannon at Madrid's bleeding form.

'No,' Madrid thought, seeing the cannon's barrel glow as it charged up. 'I will not die at the hands of these heathens!'

Just as the energy blast shot from Ironhide's cannon, Madrid focused on what remaining power she had and cast a teleportation spell. Her body glowed before blinking out of existence, just as the blast destroyed the spot she was just in.

"Where the hell did she go?" Ironhide shouted. Genn held up a hand and shook her head.

"Don't bother. She won't be bothering us again with those wounds." She said with a tired sigh. "We've won."

XXXXXX

The sun was just starting to go down when Ironhide called for a ground bridge for Ratchet to retrieve Hound. With Jotaru and Séance seeing to Dao, that left Ironhide, Genn and Kiran to chat on the sidelines.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for my daughter." Kiran said, bowing to the red Autobot before her. "I understand that it wasn't easy dealing with human problems."

"It was nothing. She's a good kid, just needed a helping hand, that's all." Ironhide said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Will you friend be alright?" She asked, looking at Hound as he was brought through the ground bridge.

"Yeah, he'll recover, but those freaky energy blasts did a number on both of us. Stupid four-armed freaks." He grumbled. He turned to Genn, who was smiling up at him. "But I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you, kid."

"I'm so glad you came. After what happened last time, I didn't think you'd want to get involved with me anymore." Genn said. Ironhide knelt down over her.

"Kid, I'm an Autobot. If I ignored a cry for help because of a little spat, then I'd have to hang up this badge. I found you and you found you mother. Everything's fine again."

"But what about the dire wraiths? Madrid's still out there and there are hundreds of cells all over the world."

"One more damn thing to worry about." Ironhide sighed. "Don't worry, we'll handle it. Right now, you should probably get to spend some time with your friends and mother."

Genn nodded, biting her lip before rushing forward and hugging Ironhide's ankle. The red Autobot smiled and gently patted her back. After a minute Genn stepped back and gave him a teary smile.

"Guess, this is goodbye?" She said softly.

"We never said hello, kid," Ironhide said, standing up. "So there's no reason to say goodbye."

Genn and Kiran waved to Ironhide as he walked to the ground bridge. It wasn't a goodbye, they were just going their separate ways for the moment. They each had their own issues to take care of, as well as the now visible threat of covert dire wraith cells on Terra. A lot of things were happening on the planet and they needed to take care of one problem at a time.

This was no goodbye, just a little "see you later" between friends.

* * *

**That's it for Ironhide and Genn's saga. Up next we'll get into the nitty gritty of Atlantian politics with Gina, Bumblebee and Wheeljack. Sorry again for taking ****so long with these chapters. I'm kind of shooting myself in the feet by constaly posting new stories and having little time working on the ones i have now. ****Also, I plan to post the sequel to Distant Stars, Mosiac, sometime this month. Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on Wordpress. ****Also, what are your thoughts on the new IDW Transformers comic, and the Constructicon series planned after this? Keep in mind i can't reply to guest ****reviews, so dont bother. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	8. Cold Destiny

Chapter 8-Cold Destiny

Gina Harkins wasn't a girl who got jealous often. She didn't like being that green eyed monster always hovering over her friend's shoulder like a shadow wondering what was going on with them or thinking dark thoughts. She had no problem with Annie and Darren having their own circle of friends. Annie had found a kindred spirit in her newfound crush Brittany and Darren had found another friend in the quiet and introverted Justine. She had no issue with them.

What she did have an issue with was that floozy Brianna practically hanging off Darren's arm every time they ran into each other. Gina could see what she was doing, being so close to Darren while pressing her "assets" like a Nipponese schoolgirl from some ecchi anime. The damn floozy was making herself seem sweet and nice to Darren, but Gina knew exactly what she was doing, trying to make her jealous while making a move on her man.

'And it's working, god damn it!' Gina thought angrily. She heard a snap and her mind returned to the present as she noticed that she had broken the hydrogen bottle that she was using for her plasma rifle. "Son of a-"

"Hey, Gina? Your honey's home!" Darren practically hopped down the stairs to her workshop looking like he was on top of the world. He had a big smile on his face when he saw her, but then he noticed her at her work table cursing up a storm. "Um, did I come at a bad time?"

"No, Darren, you arrived just in time to save me from my solitude." Gina sighed and threw the shards of glass into the trash before standing up. She yelped when Darren pulled her in for a kiss but accepted it all the same. When they broke the kiss, she smiled at his enthusiasm. "Someone's excited. What's the occasion?"

"I'm going to be training Justine today! I'm really nervous, but I'm also really excited. I mean, she's another telekinetic like me, and what are the chances of running into another esper with the same power, right?" He said, smiling brightly.

"Just be sure to curb that excitement so you don't scare her off. She's a sensitive girl, you know." Gina reminded him. It was nice seeing him so full of life again after that slump he was stuck in for the past few months. It was like getting the old Darren back, the Darren that existed before all this stuff happened.

"So what are you working on?" Darren asked, looking at the worktable.

"A plasma rifle." She answered, as if she weren't working on a high tech weapon in her backyard.

"Seriously? Gina, we're barely out in the field anymore. I don't think we need any more weapons." He said.

"It's just to pass the time. I've got another hour before Jazz comes to take me and Bee down to Mu for the weekend."

"Oh yeah, you're going away. I forgot." Darren deflated a bit. "You're not taking Sureshock?"

"I figured she could use some time off to spend with the other Minicons at Omega One." Gina said. "As much as she loves watching over me, I want her to life some private time as well."

Somehow, Jazz had scored an audience with the Atlantian princess Astrea for Gina, who was extremely excited about being able to study Atlantian culture before any other human. Having gained the merfolks' trust had allowed the Autobots some leeway in who they brought along in their regular meetings with the dwellers of the sea. Things were still on shaky ground between humans and merfolk, but with Prime acting as the intermediary between the two worlds, things are going as smoothly as they can for the most part.

"Remind me to thank Jazz for scoring this opportunity for me. I'm really making some strides in my research on the Arians." Gina said, walking over to her table. "And I'll be sure to capture as many pictures as possible for you guys while I'm there."

"Thanks, Gina." Darren looked at the clock and whistled. "Well, it's almost time for me to go. I can't keep Justine and Brianna waiting."

Gina froze. "Wait, Brianna? What's she doing there?"

"Hmm? Oh, she's going to be Justine's emotional support, since they're apparently friends now. I'm going to need Justine to be calm while we practice, and Brianna being there helps with that." Darren said, looking at her curiously. "Is something wrong with that?"

Gina mentally counted up to ten to keep her anger at bay. "No, nothing's wrong. Just…surprised, that's all."

Darren knew that wasn't the case, but figured that Gina was just annoyed by something else. He shrugged and gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading up the stairs. "Well, I'm off now. Can't be late for my first day of teaching."

"Don't let me keep you." She said.

Darren paused up the stairs and cleared his throat. "Um, Gina, when you get back. Do you want to…go out?"

Gina calmly raised an eyebrow at him, though on the inside she was giddy like a girl on a sugar rush. "Go out? Where?"

"Any place you can think of. You usually come up with the best date spots." He said smiling. "Let's just have some fun together, you know?"

Gina gave a little smile at that. "Sure, we can have a date. But you're paying."

Darren chuckled. "I will. See you soon, Gina."

Gina waved him goodbye and sighed when she heard the door closed. "And here I thought that spending time away from the Autobots would be uneventful. Show's what I know."

She should be packing up for her trip. It'd be best that she not keep Jazz and Bumblebee waiting…and keep her mind from thinking about building a tiny drone to keep an eye on Darren around Brianna.

'The tap dancing floozy.' Gina thought with a scowl.

XXXXXX

Gina had heard about Atlantis, every kid interested in history did. A sunken city dragged beneath the waves in Terra's distant past. A lost continent destroyed by a natural disaster. A mythical city reported to be the most advanced nation of its time. She heard it all, and it never lessened her dreams of finding it one day and having her name remembered throughout the world as the girl who discovered Atlantis.

Of course, now she's holding the title as one of the first humans to make contact with an alien species and the title of the first human to step foot on an alien planet. A lot of crazy things had happened over the past year and a half, but Gina never would've thought that anything like Atlantis being real would pop up in this day and age.

Now here she was, waiting to meet with a princess of the merfolk, another species of Terrans living right beneath the world's oceans undetected for thousands of years! She was practically squirming in her seat with excitement!

"Gina, you're squirming again." Bumblebee pointed out.

"Sorry, Bee, I'm just really, really excited." Gina breathed, running a hand through her hair to make sure it was straight. "Does my hair look okay?"

"You're lookin' fine, girl. No need to sweat." Jazz said as he walked up to Bumblebee and Gina. "We're already going to be wading through enough water as it is."

Bumblebee looked at their meeting place. It was on an island near Southern Europa, uninhabited by humans and remote enough to escape any prying eyes from passing ships. The island rested within Atlantian territory, one of many that remained untouched by humanity as per law and were diverse ecosystems and secret outposts for the aquatic species that were used to monitor human activity. Astrea had granted the group special permission to land on the island to wait for her.

"Any reason why we couldn't just ground bridge into the hangar of the palace?" Bumblebee asked. "I thought that they were cool with having us down there."

"They are, but we'd rather not step on anybody's toes just popping up past their defenses with a ground bridge. Gotta show some courtesy, Bee. Those guys are fickle." Jazz said.

A few minutes later, the water near the beach they were waiting on began to bubble before a large shark-like ship rose from the water. It was a Hammerhead, an Atlantian transport ship that was used to transport large cargo or troops. The sleek vessel smoothly moved through the water without making a sound and slid onto the beach, its cargo bay doors sliding open to reveal a blue-skinned young woman clad in a tight fitting swim-suit that hugged her slender form yet also looked rather fashionable.

"There's the lovely lady." Jazz smiled and waved at the princess.

"Good morning, friends. I see you didn't waste any time getting here as soon as possible." Princess Astrea said pleasantly as she went to greet the group. "It's good to see you again, Autobots."

"It's always a pleasure, princess." Jazz nodded. "This is my good friend Bumblebee, and this adventurous little girl is Gina Harkins."

Astrea turned to Gina and Sureshock, who stiffened and gave matching awkward bows to her. "No need to bow, Ms. Gina, Sureshock. Right now we're just two people with similar interests, right?"

"R-Right," Gina nodded nervously. She never met royalty before and she was scared of somehow offending the princess. "You can just call me Gina, Princess."

"Then feel free to call me Astrea." Astrea said with a smile. "Any friend of the Autobots is a friend of mine."

"So, where do we go first?" Bumblebee asked once they got the pleasantries out of the way. "Are you taking us down to Atlantis?"

"No, we're getting this show on the road." Astrea said and motioned them to follow her. "It will take us some time to get to our destination, but I wanted it to be a surprise, hence why I asked you not to bridge into the city."

"How far is our destination?" Sureshock asked. Astrea smirked at her.

"Try the Arctic Circle." She answered and walked to the ship. "If its ancient history you're looking for, then look no other place than the coldest wasteland on the planet."

XXXXXX

Justine cautiously walked through the forest to the small clearing where Darren agreed to meet with her. She tried to keep herself calm, knowing that if she got too agitated, then her powers would go out of control.

'Another esper like me.' She thought excitedly. 'I…I thought I was the only one. If Darren's one, then are there others too?'

"Justine!"

Justine yelped as she was suddenly pulled into a one armed embrace by Brianna, who came out of nowhere and surprised her. The taller blonde grinned down at Justine.

"Glad you could make it, Justine. You excited for your first day of training?" Brianna asked.

"Um, maybe. A little." Justine mumbled. Brianna frowned and pulled at her cheek. "Ow!"

"Don't hold yourself back from being excited about things. You'll live longer letting yourself be happy." She said and led her over to where Darren was standing.

"Good morning, Justine. Ready to get started?" Darren grinned. Justine nodded as Brianna walked over to sit on a boulder on the sidelines. "Great! So…I'm not really good with this whole teaching thing. Is there anything you need help with?"

"Control." Justine answered softly. "How do I keep myself from crushing the stuff that I grab?"

"You have problems with that?"

Justine nodded and reached her hand out toward a nearby tree. She focused her mind on it and the trunk suddenly exploded as if a bomb went off inside. Brianna and Darren jumped at the loud bang and the tree slowly fell over with a crash. Justine bit her lip and turned around.

"W-Was that too much?" She asked.

"N-No, that's fine. That's why we're in the forest in the first place." Darren said after clearing his throat. Okay, so this girl was a walking powerhouse. That was good to know. "So, you mentioned that you had trouble controlling your powers?"

"Yes. I have full control of them most of the time but whenever I'm feeling…scared or angry, they start to flare up." Justine said. "It gets harder to contain them when I get that way, and something always breaks. Always."

"Then we'll just work on your control." Darren waved his hand and slowly lifted the boulder Brianna was sitting on, making her yelp. "I had to learn the ins and outs of my powers the hard way. I'm not sure how much it'll help, but I'll do my best to teach you what I know."

Brianna yelped again when he dropped the boulder back to the ground and she glared at him. Darren grinned at her before turning his attention back to Justine.

"You already know this, but emotions have a pretty strong effect on our powers. It's an instinctual move, sort of like a cat lashing out with its claws." Darren instructed. "When you're using telekinesis, try to image holding things with a giant invisible hand. Using your arms helps visualize the process and adds some control to how much force you apply to it."

Wheeljack had gone into the specifics of telekinesis with Darren based on his studies of Elita-1's outlier powers, which were the same as his. He said that the human brain doesn't generate nearly enough energy to manipulate physical objects, especially on the scale that Darren uses his powers. But channeling that psionic energy through his limbs, which amplified the brain's signals, allowed him to move things using the psionic energy his brain generated. It was why telekinetics used their hands and feet to move things even though they're not actively touching them.

Darren and Justine stood in front of two boulders that he brought over to them. Darren stood slightly behind Justine as he instructed her.

"Just imagine reaching out towards the rock and gently holding it with a longer hand. I know you can't feel anything through your telekinesis, but it should make moving things easier."

Justine nodded and held out her hand, focusing her mind on lifting the boulder. She felt her arm tingle and her mind grasp the boulder. She slowly clenched her fingers and lifted her hand up. Cracks started appearing on the boulder as it was slowly lifted off the ground, and Justine struggled to keep the rock from breaking. Eventually, Justine put too much force on the rock and it shattered into dust and pebbles. Justine flinched back and deflated, but Darren put a hand on her shoulder.

"You can't force it, or it'll just be more difficult. Just let your power flow, like your extending a part of your body forward." Darren said. "Take deep breaths and let it flow. Don't force it."

Brianna rested her chin on her hands as she watched the two of them work out the basics. She had her eye on Darren, admiring how the seemingly quiet boy took charge and directed Justine with her powers. Brianna could already tell that whatever Justine had been through at home was probably abuse, or close to it. She could see that Justine had taken a lot of mental scarring on account of her mother and it'd take a lot of time to heal that poor girl.

'Why do I care for her so much? Darren's the more interesting one.' Brianna thought and shook her head. 'No, Justine's a good girl too. So much raw power in such a frail body. It's a crime to treat someone like her in such a way.'

Brianna jumped a bit when Justine exploded the next boulder, but Darren's encouraging words allowed Justine to properly lift the smaller chunks of rock without a problem. They both saw Justine's face lighting up little by little and she waved her hands and made the stones dance through the air. For a moment, it made both Darren and Brianna forget about their worries and just focused on making this girl feel better.

XXXXXX

"This…is a bit tight." Gina grunted.

"If you're going to spend time with an Atlantian, Gina, you're going to have to wear proper clothing for aquatic adventures." Astrea said playfully.

In one of the Hammerhead's compartments, Astrea was helping Gina into her wetsuit, as they would be near a lot of water, and Gina's fancy clothes wasn't suited for the environment they were about to dive into. Astrea already had a wetsuit prepared for Gina ahead of time, but as the girl put it on, Astrea worried that it might be too tight for the tall girl.

'Are all human girls this big when they get this age?' Astrea thought. Jazz never mentioned Gina being so tall…or muscular. Astrea was no warrior, but even she could see the toned muscles in Gina's arms and legs. For a "nerd" she was certainly built like a fighter.

Gina grunted as she pulled the wetsuit up to her neck and had Astrea zip it up from behind. Looking at the mirror, Gina winced a bit when she noticed how tight it clung to her body. Her inhuman physiology didn't mesh very well with the slender forms of merfolk it seemed. She especially wasn't crazy about how it clung to her chest and lower body.

'Though I'm sure Darren would appreciate the sight.' Gina thought with a grin.

Once she was fully dressed, Astrea and Gina left the room to head over to the hangar bay where Jazz and Bumblebee were waiting. Bumblebee was looking out the window at the deep blue sea, watching the fish that sped past them. He waved Gina over to take a look.

"The place I'm taking you to is one of the few remaining sites left over from what you humans call the Age of Wonders. It's a city that was built as a science outpost by our ancestors to monitor the northern lights." Astrea said. "This was back when humans and merfolk used to trade freely with each other, all using the same Arian technology that we've based our modern technology on."

"So the gigas, the advanced ships, the energy weapons, they're all holdovers from the Age of Wonders?" Gina breathed. "Jinkies, that's outstanding! I'm basically seeing real Arian technology at work here!"

"I'd tell you about the rest of the stuff we have back at Mu, but then I'd have to kill you." Astrea joked.

It was a relatively peaceful flight to the outer regions of the Arctic Circle. The Autobots spent their time chatting with the princess, while Gina tried to record as much information about Atlantian history as possible before they reached their destination. Jazz and Bumblebee found themselves taking a backseat to the conversation as they watched Gina and Astrea slowly become friends, opening up to each other. Given all that's happened with almost getting into a war with Osea and losing her brother to treacherous members of her own court, it was surprising to see Astrea being so open with Gina.

'I guess having a friend to talk to can help even in the littlest of ways.' Jazz thought.

"Oh, look, we're almost there." Astrea pointed out.

Jazz and Bumblebee peeked outside the viewport, with sitting on Bumblebee's shoulders for a better look. The Hammerhead had broken through the surface and was now cruising at a slower speed. They could see a large glacier in the distance, and further inland was a surprisingly large group of towering ice spikes jutting from the ground like thorns.

"Jinkies…" Gina breathed.

"The waters here are full of icebergs and rough waters that make it hard for human ships to sail through. A little Atlantian trickery with our esper powers to ward humans away from this area also helps too." Astrea said. "What I'm about to show you is one of our older cities from the time before recorded human history. A time after the Cataclysm that nearly destroyed both our peoples."

The ship got closer to the glacier, and took to the air in such a smooth motion that the three cybertronians and one human didn't even notice the change from sea to air. The ship reached the top of the glacier and hovered in place as the passengers were given their first look at ancient Atlantian architecture.

Sitting at the heart of clearly artificially made ice pillars and spikes was a large city that had been nearly frozen over by the elements, clearly abandoned and sporting slight similarities to the modern architecture present in Mu.

"Welcome to Lemuria," Astrea said, waving a hand to the frozen city. "The former capitol of the Atlantian Empire."

XXXXXX

Once the ship landed, Astrea disembarked with her four guests and a small platoon of a dozen highly trained guards that were sent to protect her. These six men and women were all espers that were trained intensely in their water powers (and all twelve were the equivalent of Astrea's bodyguard, Kiani's skill). As it was, no one would dare try anything on the princess with her guard there, and that's not including two Autobots, a Minicon, and an inhuman as well.

Astrea led the group through the empty, frozen streets of Lemuria, which looked like the entire settlement had been built from the ice rather than on top of it. Ice structures that were finely crafted and reinforced with metal framework to last longer, towering statues of what could only be seen as Atlantian royals, and the remains of desolate advanced vehicles that had also been frozen over and preserved somewhat.

"This was one of the few cities that we had on the surface world before the Great Cataclysm. Lemuria was both a settlement and a military outpost. The conditions alone were too much for the average merfolk to live in, but apparently there were quite a few people who still wanted to live this far north, if nothing else than to feel some sense of independence from the rest of the kingdom and its king." Astrea said.

"Sounds like they weren't too happy with the current regime." Jazz said.

"Back then, there were a couple of kings and queens that had a polarizing effect on the people. The lemurians were merfolk who were mostly tired of the way the current king ran things or wanted to feel more independent. This was in a time where my ancestors weren't as popular with the people as they are now." Astrea held her arms out to the city around them. "Lemuria became rather separated from the rest of the kingdom both physically and socially. Had the Cataclysm not happened, then I'm sure they would've tried to break off from the kingdom and become independent."

"And the ice preserved the city for this long?" Gina asked.

"Yes, though some of it is in part due to the durability of Atlantian materials." Astrea said.

Assured that Gina was safe with the princess and her guards, Jazz and Bumblebee broke off from the group to do a little exploring and take some pictures to bring home. There wasn't really that much of a danger from any frozen ice structures breaking off and hurting anybody, and the two Autobots were aware enough of their surroundings to be careful of any structural damage the city might've suffered.

"When I came to this planet, I never would've expected to run into a race of amphibious humanoids." Bumblebee said. "I swear, this planet's full of surprises."

"That's an understatement." Jazz snorted. "But at least it gives us some stuff to do while hunting for Cons. Things have been pretty slow lately."

"Any luck on finding the Cons?" Bumblebee asked.

"No. Bucket-head's being more cautious now, and after that mess with the dolems, anything more than a typical energon raid has slowed to a crawl." Jazz said.

"Well, at least this means that we don't have to worry about the Cons causing people any trouble." Bumblebee smiled, but Jazz shook his head.

"Naw, Bee, that's bad, because it means that Megs might get creative with his plans. And a creative Megatron is a long week for us."

Jazz would've said more had he not suddenly got a strange feeling. He stopped walking and held Bumblebee back as he looked around.

"What is it?" Bumblebee whispered, immediately recognizing Jazz's alert mode. He was sensing something. "Are we being followed?"

"I think so." Jazz replied, looking around. He tapped his visor and scanned for energon signatures but found nothing. He switched to infrared, but he couldn't see much through the thick ice coating everything. "I don't see anything, but I can tell that we're being watched."

"Scrap. You think its Cons?"

"No, I'm not getting any biosignatures here. I think it's something else."

Suddenly the two Autobots felt the ground beneath them tremble and they quickly took out their weapons. The ground behind them exploded in a barrage of sharp ice shards that were shot at the pair, and they jumped away to avoid the ice bullets. Two large dark shapes leaped out of the hole and landed on the ground, moving faster than their size would suggest.

Their attackers were two large humanoid mechanoids with dark gray armor that was sleek and streamlined, clearly made for traveling through water at high speeds. At first glance, they didn't even look mechanical, as even their joints were protected by black protective coverings. Their heads were covered in sleek armor plates that left only their blue eyes uncovered. They carried no visible weapons on them, but the Autobots were still on guard.

"Are those Gigas?" Bumblebee asked.

"Looks like it, but they look different from the other ones." Jazz said and readied his vibro-blade. "Ready up, Bee!"

The two gigas charged at the Autobots, running in opposite directions to fight the pair separately. Jazz and Bumblebee got ready for individual fights, but instead the two gigas raised their arms and the icy ground suddenly broke apart, erupting in a massive wave of ice that was sent at the Autobots. Jazz and Bumblebee ran away to avoid the ice wave and jumped apart to dodge it, firing their weapons at the robots. One of the gigas raised an ice shield to block their laser blasts and made a motion with its hand.

The ice shield broke apart into a barrage of sharp ice bullets that were sent flying at the Autobots. Jazz and Bumblebee tried to avoid the ice bullets, but they still too some hits. Bumblebee got an ice spike to his shoulder while Jazz took two spikes to his left shoulder and leg. Jazz grunted and rolled unsteadily to his feet, firing his blaster. The two gigas took over behind two large ice pillars that were raised and repositioned themselves.

"Bee, any luck on getting some help over here?" Jazz called out over the sound of blaster fire.

"I'm trying, but I got nothing. I think we're being jammed!" Bumblebee said. "Scrap, head's up!"

Jazz ducked under a large chunk of ice that sailed over his head, thrown at him by one of the gigas. The gigas ran out of cover and slammed both hands into the ground, and the ice began to rumble and shake. It raised its arms and the ice shifted into water, which rose off the decimated buildings and streets to form a massive orb of water above its head.

"Now that's just cheating." Jazz groaned. "Bee, take cover!"

The gigas thrust its arms forward and sent the water descending upon the Autobots. Bumblebee helped Jazz move as fast as possible, but the wave was already on top of them. Fighting through the pain in his wounds, Jazz grabbed Bumblebee and pushed him into a nearby building just as the water crashed on top of them with enough force to shatter the ground.

The gigas clenched its fingers and the water froze on top of the building as if someone flipped a switch. Once they were sure that the Autobots were probably neutralized, the gigas regrouped and headed back to where the Autobots came from.

That was one threat down. Now it was time for their companions to finish the mission.

XXXXXX

In the main section of the city square, where Astrea and Gina were conversing, they took notice of the rumbling going on in the distance. Astrea's bodyguards stiffened and took formation around the princess as the girls looked to the marketplace of the city where Jazz and Bumblebee had wandered off to.

"What's that?" Astrea asked, suddenly worried. "Did something happen?"

Gina looked to where the rumbling came from and her keen eyes saw the smoke rising from the spot, on top of the explosions she was hearing in the distance. "I think we're under attack."

"Princess!" One of the guards called out and pointed down the street.

Gina and Astrea looked to one of the roads leading to the city square and saw what looked like a large snow cloud coming straight for them. Obviously they knew this snow cloud was definitely not natural and the soldiers got into an arrowhead formation with Astrea and Gina placed behind them.

"What is it?" Astrea asked.

"I don't know, but stay behind me." Gina said, tensing her muscles for a fight. If anything happened to the soldiers, then she was the last line of defense for the princess.

The snow cloud washed over them, covering everything in a fine layer of snow and obscuring their vision in a barrage of small but sharp ice crystals. The soldiers raised their weapons, but instead of an attack from above, like they anticipated, the assault came from below.

Astrea screamed as three large ice spikes shot up from the ground and impaled three soldiers through their chests from underneath them. The other four scattered and called upon their water powers, melting the surrounding ice into water and flush their attackers out from underground. Unfortunately, their enemies were no novices in the ways of combat. The ground was littered with icy spikes jutting up like thorns, and the soldiers were forced to scatter to avoid them.

'They're breaking their formation!' Gina thought, her eyes glowing. Seeing that the ice spikes were beginning to surround her and Astrea, Gina unleashed a wave of power that destroyed them in a single burst, surprising the princess.

"Gina?!" She exclaimed in shock.

But her questions were pushed aside when the two buildings on both sides of the group exploded and three humanoid figures emerged from each house. They were merfolk, clad in little more than thin but flexible bone-like armor and armed with gauntlets that fired thin beams of ice blue energy at the soldiers below. The princess's guards fought back with laser fire of their own, followed by water blasts to combat the rain of icicles that were thrown at them.

"Who are these guys?" Gina asked Astrea.

"I-I don't know. I've never seen merfolk like them before." Astrea stammered. She had never seen merfolk espers manipulate ice on a scale like these assailants before. Not to mention these merfolk looked completely different from the citizens of Atlantis-they had light blue skin and smaller fins along their arms and legs.

"Princess Astrea of Atlantis." A man's voice spoke.

The girls spun around and saw a large man walking towards them, his skin more pale than the other attackers that came with him. Gina knew from the way he spoke and the manner he walked that he was probably the one leading this attack on them. He was flanked by two more men that had more slender builds, probably one of those speed over power types kept in reserve for surprise attacks.

"Who are you?" Gina demanded.

"I am Birhanna, human. That's all you need to know, because you'll be dead in a few minutes." The man said, pointing his gauntlet at her.

"Stop this at once! Why are you attacking us? Assaulting a member of the royal family is a capital punishment!" Astrea said.

Birhanna smirked. "You're not my princess, and your mother is not my queen. Get the princess, kill the human."

He snapped his fingers and his two soldiers moved in to attack. Gina scowled and her eyes glowed white with power.

"You aren't getting anywhere near her!"

Gina unleashed an energy burst with her distortion halo that blew the three men back. Momentarily shocked by her power, they quickly recovered and sprinted forward, encasing their feet in ice and skating across the ground. They moved fast, and though Gina had them trumped in firepower, she had a tough time properly targeting them.

Astrea stepped back as Gina fought off the two soldiers, but as she spotted Birhanna through Gina's energy barrage and decided to end this battle before it got worse. She could already tell that her guards were starting to wear down thanks to the constant icy assault sent at them. Gathering water around her hands, she fired two water jets at Birhanna.

Birhanna raised his hands and clenched his fingers, freezing the water jets in the air and sending them right back at her in a larger wave of icicles that spread across the ground. Gina turned her head to destroy the ice wave, but this left her open to a large ice spike that burst from her left and caught her in the ribs. She was flung into the air, where the second soldier leapt up and slammed a large ice hammer into her that sent her crashing along the ground.

There were tears along her wetsuit but Gina was still unharmed. Whereas a normal person would've been seriously bleeding, or at least impaled by now, Gina's enhanced body was still going strong…for now. Unfortunately, the two soldiers knew enough that all they had to do was keep her off balance and not give her a chance to attack.

'Damn it, these guys aren't slouches.' Gina thought. She created a distortion effect that warped the ground to create a wall to block the barrage of ice bullets sent at her and she waved her arm. The distortion halo effect rippled throughout the ground, causing a shockwave that disrupted the men's powers and caused them to stumble.

"Got ya!"

Gina glared at the two men and unleashed a chain of energy balls that exploded around them. But just as she was about to take out one of them, a large ice beam slammed into her back and sent her crashing back into one of the buildings behind her.

"Gina!" Astrea glared at Birhanna and charged at him, riding on an ice platform she made.

Birhanna sent multiple ice tendrils at the princess, but to his surprise, she reacted quickly enough to either dodge the icy projectiles or smash right through them. Using her slender body, she weaved through his attacks, calling upon the combat training that Kiani had beaten into her. Raising an ice wall to deflect the ice blasts sent at her, she made a sharp left and created an ice slid to propel herself at Birhanna, sharpening a water blade over her right hand to run him through.

Astrea had gotten close to Birhanna, close enough to actually grab the front of his armor, but he was just a couple seconds faster. He smacked her hand away and slashed his hand, causing an ice spike to shoot out of the ground and slam into her. She smashed through her ice bridge and hit the ground, rolling to a stop. Birhanna ran forward and encased her in ice from the shoulders down, restricting her.

"You're a powerful fighter, princess, but you haven't been hardened by nature like I have." Birhanna said and turned to his men. "We have what we came here for. Call the transport and-"

The building exploded in a bright flash and Gina ran charging out like a mad bull, eyes crackling with energy and her wetsuit torn. She growled and charged straight at Birhanna, ignoring the ice constructs that were in her way. The two soldiers attempted to stop her, but Gina created two large energy blasts that completely vaporized them as she ran right past them, leaving a burning trail of smoke and fire behind her.

"Such power." Birhanna said in awe. Was she one of those human espers that were spoken of recently? Powers aside, he had a mission to accomplish, and he wasn't going to let this girl stop him. Reaching into a pouch on his waist, he took out a dark blue orb that looked to be made of crystal and held it up. "I didn't think I'd be using this on anyone else but the Autobots, but life's full of surprises."

As Gina barreled towards him, Birhanna threw the orb at her and jumped behind an ice pillar he raised. Gina almost paid it no mind…until the orb exploded. That was when the girl ran head first into an explosion of what felt like pure force smashing into her, blasting her back and sending her flying. Her entire world went white as she hit the ground, and fell unconscious.

XXXXXX

Darren had spent almost an hour training Justine in the finer workings of telekinesis. He was no expert like older espers of the same power, like the members of the Providence Foundation, but he knew how his powers worked to explain them to a novice like Justine. And he had to admit, she was getting the hang of things pretty quickly.

Justine had grasped how to lift and move objects without crushing them, and she even extended her grasp onto the water of the lake, making a thin stream of water move through the air like a snake with such fluidness that even Darren was impressed. He taught her how to freeze the water by visualizing the molecules in the liquid to slow down, or melt the ice by rapidly vibrating those same molecules. He even allowed her to try to lift him up with her powers, which was quite the experience.

Once it looked like Justine had completely grasped the movement of objects, they took a lunch break, which at that point Justine had retreated back into her shell somewhat. Seeking to keep up the momentum he had going on with her, Darren decided to show her a little trick.

"Justine, can I show you something?" He asked her.

Justine blinked at him and nodded slowly. "Y-Yes, you can. What is it?"

"It's a little trick that I've developed over the past year. A neat little self-defense telekinetic move that I made when I got a better grasp on my powers." He said and looked at Brianna. "Bri, can I use your knife for a bit?"

Brianna looked at him and shrugged before handing him her knife she used for her salad. She didn't know what he was about to do, but that grin on his face wasn't very reassuring. Darren beckoned Justine closer to him and held out his hand flat against the boulder he was sitting on.

"Now I want you to watch closely." He told her and waited for a moment before suddenly stabbing the knife down onto his hand. The girls screamed in shock as the steel knife actually bent into a twisted shape the moment it came in contact with his hand, which didn't even have a cut on it. Darren laughed at their reactions, but winced when Brianna punched his arm.

"What's wrong with you? Don't just stab yourself like that out of nowhere!" She scolded. Darren chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry, I had to do it. It was funny when I showed Gina and Annie this too." He said.

"H-How…" Justine stammered.

"Telekinetic force field." Darren said and held out his arm. "I place a layer of telekinetic energy over my body and it acts like a second skin for me. It's basically an invisible layer of armor that mostly protects me from blunt attacks or sharp objects like knives and stuff. All you have to do is imagine a sort of shield around your body and that's it."

"Whoa…how'd you invent that move?" Brianna asked.

"Trial and error. It helps keep the bruises my sister gives me down to a minimum when I make her angry." Darren held up the knife. "That's not to say I can't feel things like pain or heat, it just makes it harder for me to get hurt from stuff like a baseball flying at my head…or maybe getting hit by a car."

"And…and you have this field around you all the time?" Justine asked.

"Yeah, but it takes some practice until it becomes second nature." He explained. "But it'll only work on attacks that you can see coming. If something catches you by surprise, like a sniper's bullet or something along those lines, you're still vulnerable."

Justine gaped at him. A shield around her body…the thought was comforting to the young telekinetic girl. Brianna whistled at him and smirked.

"Wow, you're quite the fine specimen, Darren." She grinned at his reddening cheeks. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Well…I can't part the seas…yet." He said.

Justine laughed at that little joke. As in actually laughed, which surprised her. It came so naturally to her that she didn't believe that she could even produce a regular laugh anymore. Seeing Darren and Brianna laugh along with her was felt good as well.

'It's nice to have someone laughing with me and not at me.' Justine thought with a smile. Maybe this little training session isn't so bad after all.

XXXXXX

"Jeez, how thick is this ice?" Bumblebee grumbled as he shot his stingers at full power to burn through the ice. The two weapons combined were able to burn through the ice quickly, but it took more power than he could give and Bumblebee had to take a break before he ended up using more energon than he was replenishing. "Did they bury us under a glacier?"

"With how much ice they were throwing at us, I think they did." Jazz said. He had switched the settings on his blaster to fire at full power, but he had to be careful, lest they cause the massive chunks of ice to bury them further.

"Jazz, those were definitely Atlantian gigas." Bumblebee said. "Where did they come from? I didn't see them back at the dropship."

"I don't think they came from the ship. They looked different from the gigas that we've seen." Jazz said. He rolled his shoulder a bit to get the pain out. Bumblebee had did some quick medical repairs on their wounds, just enough that they aren't bleeding energon anymore, but it still hurt. "I think we were just taken out to make their true objective easier."

"True objective…the princess?" Bumblebee looked back at Jazz, who nodded. "We got to get back to Gina and the others. They might be fighting by now!"

Bumblebee turned to continue digging through the ice with his stingers, but then he saw a bright glow shining through the ice on the other side. Common sense told him to move away from the ice, and he did just that, which was fortunate considering the spot he was standing near was vaporized in a powerful energy burst that nearly blinded the Autobots' optical sensors.

After a few seconds, the energy burst dissipated and Bumblebee and Jazz regained their vision they saw two figures standing in the hole where their icy prison once stood. First they saw Gina, who looked like she had been run over by a herd of bison, and the second was Kiani, who didn't look very happy with any of them.

"Guys, we have a problem." Gina said.

"The princess has been kidnapped," Kiani said, crossing her arms. "And you're going to help me find her."

Bumblebee and Jazz looked at each other before Jazz said, "Well what are we waiting for? Let's bogey!"

XXXXXX

After a long day of training, it was time for Darren, Brianna and Justine to head home. Something that Justine had been dreading since they began their little day out. Darren had offered to escort the girls home, but Brianna just waved him off.

"I may not look it, but I'm more than capable of keeping our little maiden safe." Brianna said, flexing her bicep.

"I don't doubt that." Darren said, admiring Brianna's rather impressive guns for a moment before smiling at Justine. "I think we've had a great first day, Justine. You did really well today. Same time tomorrow?"

"Yes, that will be fine." Justine nodded. She smiled shyly at him. "I had a great day, too. Thank you for teaching me."

"It's my pleasure. Goodnight, Justine, Brianna." Darren replied and waved the girls as they walked down the street.

Brianna and Justine walked down the quiet neighborhood in silence. The sun was steadily setting and lights were switching on inside the houses they passed by.

"You really were great back there, you know." Brianna said. Justine jumped a bit at her voice.

"H-Huh?" Justine looked at her disbelievingly.

"I'm serious. You were really doing great with your powers. I mean, I've only ever seen Darren do his telekinetic thing today, but I can tell that you're doing almost as good as him in the control department." Brianna smiled. She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "I never expected a quiet girl like you to be an esper, but I must say, you're really powerful, Justine."

"…I'm not powerful." Justine muttered. "I'm weak. I'm…I'm constantly berated by my mother, and bullied by the girls at school. No one wants to be around me, and if they learn I'm an esper, it'll only get worse."

Justine held up her hand and levitated three ants that had been walking in front of them. "It felt good to use them like this. For so long my mother told me that they were a sign that I'm unclean. That my powers were a symbol of the devil. She…she made me hate what I am for so long." She muttered. Brianna looked at her with a sympathetic expression as Justine spoke. "But today, I've felt freer than I've ever felt in my entire life. It really…felt good."

"That's what being free is supposed to be like. You're not some demon, Justine, you're just a normal girl like me. You were just born with special powers that you didn't know how to control until now." Brianna said. She went silent for a moment, looking down at her hand. "Just because you're different, it doesn't make you a monster. If Darren can make it through with his powers, then you can too. You just need the right push."

Justine didn't reply, but she did reach up to grasp Brianna's hand on her shoulder. "I don't want to go home. I've had such a wonderful day, and I don't want to go back to mother's insults."

Brianna got in front of Justine and stopped her. "Justine, don't let what anyone says about you get you down. Those are just words and they're meant to bring you down. Remember this, no matter what they say, just know that you're stronger than them. They may not know it, but you have powers they could only dream of, and they can't touch you physically or emotionally. It doesn't hurt to feel better than them because of your powers. At the end of the day, they're weaker than you."

"Weaker…" Justine muttered, looking up into Brianna's bright crystal blue eyes, and realized just how close they were standing together. She swallowed hard and looked away, a blush on her cheeks. "I…I understand."

"Good." Brianna smiled and took Justine's hand to lead her down the street. "Come on. Let's get you home before its gets too late."

"Y-Yeah." Justine nodded, ignoring the rapid beating of her heart and the heat emanating from where their hands touched. She really hoped that her face wasn't as red as she thought it was.

XXXXXX

Astrea woke up to the brisk feeling of cold surrounding her body. She was already shivering, her body unused to being surrounded by such cold climates. Her eyes slid open and she looked around, seeing her arms and legs trapped within restraints filled with water, or what she believed to be water, that restricted her movements. She tried to call upon her powers, but she couldn't.

"Don't bother, girl," A smooth voice said. "You're just wasting your energy."

Astrea looked up to see w woman walking up to her. Astrea always thought of her mother being the most beautiful woman in her life, but this woman came to a close second to the Atlantian queen. She had a slender form, with pale skin and fins along her forearms and long black hair that turned spiky at the ends. Her blue lips smirked evilly at the trapped princess, while her orange red eyes gleamed viscously.

"Princess Astrea of Atlantis, how nice it is to finally see you face to face." The woman greeted.

"Who…who are you?" Astrea asked hesitantly.

"I'm Vana, queen of Lemuria, the kingdom of the frozen north."

"Lemuria? But, that city's been desolate for centuries." Astrea said.

"Yes, but only because we rebelled and were forced to hide deep beneath the cold waters of the Arctic. If you know your history, then you know that some of your ancestors were not as likeable as your mother is today." Vana raised her arms to the spectacular ice cavern around them. "We broke off from the Atlantian kingdom and formed our own nation here in the coldest parts of the world. We evolved, we grew, and we became stronger without the oppression of you high-handed plebeians."

"How…there's no way you could've operated like this without remaining undetected." Astrea said. To think that another community of merfolk had lived in harsh conditions such as these…it was almost unbelievable. But seeing Vana standing in the Arctic in little more than a shawl and a thin bikini, while she was slowly freezing to death, it hammered the truth home.

"You're right, we didn't remain hidden for long. Your mother had sent a scout team to the North Pole and came upon one of our colonies atop a glacier that served as our outpost. Your former military commander, Kilian, attempted to subjugate us in the queen's name. Bring us liberated merfolk to heel, as he once said. We made short work of him and his troops." Vana scowled at the memory. "So began a series of long skirmishes that never grew beyond that as humanity continued to create more deadly and powerful weapons. Our latest skirmish resulted in a massive undersea battle between our respective gigas, all led by myself and your mother."

Astrea couldn't remember ever hearing of another merfolk community living in the world. In a tightly knit society like Atlantis, word of such developments would've spread fast. Her mother must've kept this confidential from the wider public, so that only she and a few trusted government officials knew of Lemuria. As for Tyr being on that long "diplomatic trip" to one of the outer colonies…that must have been when this battle took place.

'And she managed to keep this all from me.' Astrea thought.

"I can see you're putting the pieces together. Your mother and I fought with such ferocity that could rival even a tsunami. If only you could've known just how ruthless your mother had been back then." Vana continued. "Of course, Lemuria wasn't as powerful as it was now, and many of our people died. Among them was my son, Taras…whom your mother killed."

Astrea shuddered as the air began to feel colder and ice crystals began to form along Vana's skin. "I've heard about your little schoolyard fight with the humans. Hearing that your brother died brought me great joy, knowing that your mother is suffering the same pain I felt when she took Taras from me. But it isn't enough…"

Vana roughly grabbed Astrea by the chin and held her face still to glare right into her eyes. "I will not rest until your people are wiped out and my nation's freedom assured. And I will not be satisfied until Queen Tyr has suffered as much as I have, and that means by seeing you die at my hands!"

"If you think your little revenge scheme will work-"

"It will. Tyr is a mother, just like me. She will come, and I intend to make her first visit to the lands of ice a visit she will never forget."

Vana released Astrea and walked away. "Enjoy your stay here, princess. It'll be the last thing you see before I rip out your heart."

Astrea growled and struggled in her restraints. She couldn't do anything herself, but she knew that Gina and the Autobots were still out there. If Gina was as smart as she was told, then she'll find help and rescue her before her mother gets dragged into this mess.

XXXXXX

As soon as she had regained consciousness, Gina had regrouped with the rest of Astrea's guard detail, or at least the ones that survived, and tried to all for backup. Her first instinct was to call Astrea's personal bodyguard, who was back in Atlantis undergoing a review of the city's security systems. It certainly didn't take long for the woman to get there with a fresh platoon of experienced Atlantian soldiers and a whole lot of attitude to make even the genetically enhanced Gina feel like running for the hills.

Once they sent the injured soldiers back to Atlantis, Gina went to find Bumblebee and Jazz, whom she believed to have been attacked first to lessen the threat against their mysterious attackers. It took some searching, but eventually she found the pair trapped under a giant ice spike and immediately set them free. After helping the Autobots out, Kiani wasted no time in herding the three into her Hammerhead dropship and taking flight deeper into the Arctic.

"Wait, how do you know where the princess is?" Bumblebee asked as they took off.

"The queen had both the prince and princess outfitted with tracking chips just under their skin in the form of tattoos that can be tracked by our computer systems." Kiani said. "It was a precautionary measure, in case either of them got lost in the darker depths of the ocean or they were kidnapped by someone, mainly humans."

"The people that attacked us, they were merfolk. But they looked different." Gina said. "They were stronger, and their esper powers were mainly used to control ice."

Kiani looked at Gina for a moment, then decided that the blonde human was worth entrusting this secret to. "Those merfolk are members of a separate nation that split off from Atlantis decades ago. They call themselves the Empire of Lemuria, after the city they abandoned after rebelling against the kingdom. My father and the queen have had numerous skirmishes with them, but we haven't had any recent battles for the last ten years."

"Until now." Jazz sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Damn, I guess walking right into their turf was a bad idea, huh?"

"That's an understatement, Autobot." Kiani said. "Right now, we know exactly where the princess is, but we don't know how much resistance we'll encounter once we reach her, aside from a literal army."

Gina tapped her chin. "Wait, do you have Astrea's coordinates, or at least the general location she's at?"

"I do, but it won't become clear until we can get closer to her position." Kiani replied, looking at Gina curiously. "What do you have in mind."

"Jazz, get those coordinates and send them to Teletran-1," Gina said. "I think I've found a way to get the princess back without fighting the entire Lemurian army, but you'll have to be ready to evacuate as soon as possible."

Bumblebee smiled. "This is going to be a fun ride."

XXXXXX

'I'm not letting that crazy witch use me to get back at mother.' Astrea thought angrily as she struggled in her restraints.

Astrea recognized these restraints as a variation of the ones that the Atlantian military uses to restrain espers. The individual's hands and feet are encased in water that conducts just enough electricity to numb the nerves and inhibit the prisoner from using their powers. Ordinarily, that would've worked on a regular merfolk esper, but Astrea was born from a line of kings and queens, all espers of tremendous power cultivated through careful breeding and training. Astrea still had a few tricks up her sleeve.

Astrea looked at one of the tubes pumping water to and from her restraints and focused on the liquid flowing through it. Trying to control water with only one's mind was a very difficult thing to do, even for members of the royal family, but Astrea had some practice in manipulating small amounts, which is what she was trying to do right now.

"Come on, come on…" Astrea visualized the water exploding outward, like a backed up pipe, and to her relief, the tube popped like a balloon, spraying water everywhere. This cut power to one of her bonds and Astrea was able to manipulate the water around her left hand. She blew apart the restraint and formed a water blade around her hand to free her other arm and her legs, setting herself free.

"Nice contraption, but it's not enough to hold a daughter of the sea." Astrea said. "Now to get out of here."

Astrea ran through the tunnel leading to the chamber. There were few guards, curiously, which probably meant that Vana was sure enough in her machines that the princess couldn't break free without outside help. First mistake.

It took her a while to navigate the maze of artificially made ice tunnels and caves that probably ran for miles. Astrea got glimpses of the city that was located a couple of miles away from the complex, buildings made from finely crafted ice and full of Lemurians who worshipped Vana as their queen and would like nothing more than to see the princess of Atlantis dead. Still, the ice city looked beautiful, that was for sure.

Astrea could feel her body temperature reaching dangerously low levels, but she hurried in her efforts to find a way out. She felt cold air blowing through one of the tunnels and followed that trail until she finally saw what looked like the northern lights. Running to the end of the tunnel, Astrea found her bare feet digging through soft snow, and she yelped at the brisk feeling. Looking around, she saw that she was standing on the side of a mountain with a river flowing through a canyon down below.

"I'm outside. Now I have to wait for Gina to come through with help…hopefully." Astrea breathed.

Astrea cautiously made her way down the mountainside, careful to keep an eye out for any sign of enemy guards or scout ships. In her condition, she was in no shape to properly fight before freezing to death. Unfortunately for her, her luck ran out when she escaped her prison, for just before she reached the river, a scout ship shaped like a manta ray emerged over a snowdrift, its spotlights pointed at her.

"Damn!" Astrea waved her arm and caused a water spear to smash into the craft's right wing, causing it to go out of control. The ship wavered in the air before falling and crashing into the iceberg down below.

The sound of the exploding ship certainly alerted the guards, and soon Astrea found herself under enemy fire as laser beams pelted the snow around her. She raised a water shield and froze it to protect herself, but she had to jump back as a rain of icicles rained down on her from the cave she just ran out of.

"Did you think you could escape me!" Vana's enraged voice echoed. A large chunk of the mountainside exploded into the air as the queen emerged from the cavern, her body hovering in the air on a waterspout as she shot at Astrea. "This land belongs to me, girl. You're not escaping justice this time!"

"This isn't justice, it's just vengeance." Astrea said, raising her arms and commanding the river to rise behind her.

As Vana brought a rain of sharp hailstones down upon her, Astrea countered with a massive wave of water that she sent at Vana, and the two attacks clashed in the air in an explosion of diamond dust and water droplets.

XXXXXX

"There, I found her!" Kiani said, catching the princess's signal on radar. She spun her seat around and looked at the two Autobots and their human companion. "Are you three ready?"

"We're rearing to go." Bumblebee said.

"Teletran, send the ground bridge." Jazz said.

The ground bridge appeared within the ship's launch bay. Gina hopped up into Bumblebee's arms as he and Jazz ran through the portal and out into the cold air of the Arctic, landing on a glacier just two miles from the princess's position. They wasted no time in heading to where the sound of fighting could be heard in the distance.

XXXXXX

Fighting Vana was like fighting the icy tundra of the glacier itself. The snow, the ice, even the water was at Vana's command, and Astrea was struggling to defend herself from the icy onslaught that was fueled by a mother's rage. Half of Vana's attacks she condense back into water and tried to overwhelm the queen, but Vana would just throw even more icy her way, and push her back towards the river down below.

Astrea used every ounce of her power to fight back, throwing massive water jets that smashed through ice and stone, and created icicles as large as a car. The two women clashed in a flurry of ice and snow, and it seemed that they were evenly matched, until Vana made the river behind Astrea shoot at her from behind.

Astrea cursed and spun around to deflect the ice spear that nearly got her, but then Vana threw a water bullet into the ground beside her, throwing the girl off her feet. Astrea landed hard on her back, and Vana dropped down so she landed on Astrea's chest. The queen pinned her to the ground and had the snow grip Astrea's body to trap her in place.

"Just because I need you alive long enough for your mother to come running doesn't mean I have to have you in one piece." Vana snarled. She grabbed Astrea's neck and began freezing the cells along her arms and legs. "I can freeze every cell, every ounce of water in her body from the inside out, and you're going to feel every last minute of it!"

"I'm getting sick of your villain monologues!" Astrea tore her arm free and stabbed an icicle into Vana's shoulder and kicked her off. She stumbled to her feet and backed away as Vana rose into the air on a waterspout.

Vana was about to attack when suddenly the two fighters hovering behind her were destroyed in bright bursts of energy. "What?!"

Laser blasts assaulted the three gigas standing watch as Jazz and Bumblebee charged into the canyon, firing their weapons. Gina as already sprinting toward Astrea, creating distortion halos to scatter the enemy soldiers and destroy their air support. Vana roared and threw massive ice bullets at Gina, which were destroyed before they could hit the girl. Another energy burst destroyed Vana's waterspout and sent her crashing to the ground.

"And stay down!" Gina yelled.

"Gina!" Astrea pounced on Gina via a waterspout and hugged her. "You came!"

"Of course I did. I wasn't going to leave you to freeze out here." Gina said smiling. "And now we're going to peace out of here. Guys, ground bridge!"

"On it!" Jazz called the ground bridge, which appear right behind the girls as he and Bumblebee ran to the portal. Reinforcements had arrived in the form of more Lemurian fighters that were trying to shoot down the Autobots. Combined with the additional gigas that were flooding out of their hangars, it was clearly time to go.

"NO!"

Vana lunged after Astrea and Gina as they ran for the ground bridge, the entire snowdrift rising up after her and freezing in a massive wave of ice that rumbled towards them like an avalanche. The Autobots made it through first, with Gina following. Astrea paused long enough to stick her tongue out at Vana before running into the bridge, which disappeared.

Vana slammed into the ground seconds after the portal vanished. Seeing her only chance at revenge disappear before her eyes was the last straw for the queen. She roared and punched the ground, causing a section of the mountainside to shake and crumble as tons of snow shot up into the air as a forest of icicles reaching miles into the sky.

This wasn't the last that the princess, nor those accursed Autobots heard of her.

XXXXXX

Kiani gave Astrea a firm scolding when they returned to the ship. Though the Atlantian bodyguard looked scary as hell, it was clear that she was relieved that the princess was safe and sound.

"Thank you, all for rescuing me." Astrea said to the Autobots and Gina. "I thought I was done for back there."

"Saving people is what we do, girl. Nothing to it." Jazz grinned.

"But maybe we should do extensive background checks on the locations we're visiting before we end up running into someone's turf. I'm not looking forward to starting another fight with some other royal we don't know about." Gina said.

"Amen to that." bumblebee said.

"You'll get no argument from me." Astrea looked at Gina's tattered clothes. "And while we head back to Mu, maybe you can explain how you're not only unharmed despite running half naked through the snow in a tattered wetsuit, but how you're able to do all of…that."

Gina shared a look with Jazz and Bumblebee. "It's…a long story."

"I have time." Astrea smiled. "I've shown you a little of my culture and now you're going to show me some of yours. Think of it as a cultural exchange."

Gina smiled back. "Okay, but for the record, it's a lot crazier than what we just went through tonight. And that's a fact."

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait. I typed this entire chapter down from scratch, no pre-written material to go from, so it was a pain trying to complete. The next chap ****is a Minicon-centered story starring Sparkplug and friends as they get into a little trouble. We'll be visiting the Atlantians soon in future chapters. Be sure to check out the Transformers Titan website on Word****press. Also, I've started my first original fantasy series on Fictionpress, Fantasia, under the account Saya3x3, so be sure to check it out. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	9. Patriot Act

Chapter 9-Patriot Act

When Sparkplug was elected as leader of the Exodus group, he didn't think of it as much of a responsibility. He took his duties seriously of course, but he imagined just having to worry about finding a planet to settle down on and create a local community far from Cybertron and its wars. He never imagined being in a scenario where half his crew were traitors, his ship was destroyed, and his people at the mercy of humans and Decepticons.

'I wonder if I had hair it would be gray right now.' Sparkplug thought as he sat at the command center at Omega One.

Omega One was the name of the newly constructed base that was built into the base of a mountain deep within Yellowstone Park, where visitors weren't allowed to tread. It was a large base that had two levels built into it and had a smooth elevator lift that could go between levels, on top of state of the art computers, CR chambers and a medibay (Wheeljack and Liftor had a lot of fun designing the layout). As a condition of the Cybercord Treaty, the Minicons were given asylum in Osea territory as refugees. Sure, it was a bit small for the Autobots, but the base was made with Minicons and humans in mind.

It was a breath of fresh air for the wayward Minicons, who were still a bit at odds with the Autobots somewhat. They needed room, especially after OZ's assault against the Ark. There was enough room in the base for almost the entire Minicon population and was hopefully the start of them creating a permanent settlement on Terra. The added bonus was that the base was surrounded by miles upon miles of enchanting forests and natural wonders that many would kill to see.

"Sparkplug," Liftor walked up to him. "What're you doing at the comm center? It's not your turn for watch yet."

"I know, but I can't sit still. As much as I'm enjoying our little peacetime, I just can't sit still. I'm still a bit on edge about the others."

"Oh, them. Right, I forgot." Liftor's expression fell a bit. "I know Redline's team is still missing, but who else."

"Combusta and Impulsor's teams. We know they're most likely not in stasis panels anymore, but we can't get a lock on their signals or even contact them." Sparkplug sighed and leaned on his hand. "We're so close to finishing this mission and getting all our friends back, Liftor, but there's always something backing us."

"Well, until we have a lead, all I can say is…chill out." Liftor said unexpectedly. The surprised look Sparkplug gave him was too good. "I know I'm the last person who should be saying that, but you're going to overheat from all this stress. Don't forget, the Autobots and the children are helping us out too. And now we even have the might of the Osean government on our side!"

Sparkplug smiled. "That's true. I won't be much help to anyone if I pass out from stress. I just wish we weren't always in the dark about stuff. It'd be nice to be in the know on some things around here."

XXXXXX

"I'm getting really tired of this game. I ask a question and you answer it. Simple as that, yes? All that crying and begging isn't necessary, because it isn't going to get you anywhere."

The pair of human scientists, a man and a woman, were huddled together in fear of the thirty foot mech standing over them. Darkshadow's expression was one of displeasure as he stood tall amongst the field of human corpses at his feet. Some were still intact, but still sporting limbs that were horribly twisted or crunched, but most of them were smoking lumps of flesh and blackened bone.

It was so easy it was almost disappointing. For a talos manufacturing plant, the security was so lax that Starscream almost felt insulted; it was easy enough tossing a high powered EMP grenade to torch all the machinery in the grounds and have Shockblast and Wreckage massacre the personnel. Darkshadow didn't need them all alive, only the useful ones.

"P-Please, we don't know anything about him!" The man whimpered, eying the laser cannon pointed lazily at them. "Or what he worked on!"

"All we know is that he was working on a top secret project commissioned by some military group. It's classified!" The woman said.

Darkshadow frowned; it wasn't much to go on, but it was a start. "Are there any files on this secret project of his?"

"N-No, he carried his data on him at all times." She said.

"Well…that's a shame." She muttered. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Now t-that we told you what we know," The man said. "Will you let us li-"

Darkshadow fired her cannon, killing both humans instantly. Not caring about the bodies squishing beneath her feet, Darkshadow flew out of the hole she made in the roof, flying out of the building and landing in the front yard. A gray and red armored personnel carrier drove up to him.

"You find anything?" Wreckage asked.

"Nothing special, only that our target left almost a month ago after finishing some top secret military project. That's it for now, but I do have a possible location." Darkshadow said.

"Finally. Where is the flesh bag?"

"New Espania."

XXXXXX

Astroscope was running a diagnostic check on the systems of the main computer when he ran across an interesting discovery. An encrypted message from an unknown address.

"Who could this be?" Astroscope wondered. He bit his lip in thought for a moment before letting his curiosity win out. "Wouldn't hurt to see who its from."

"_-oadcasting on Indigo 4123 to Minicon base Omega One. I repeat, denizens of the Minicon base-"_

"What…" Astroscope gaped as an image of a man clad in a military uniform appeared on the screen.

"_This is Colonel Gordon Horiuchi of Skywatch broadcasting on an unencrypted channel. Any Minicons within range, please respond."_

'Yeah, not a chance, human.' Astroscope thought. Sparkplug may have trusted the humans as allies, but aside from the children, he was wary of anyone he didn't know personally.

"_Minicons, I'm sure by now you've heard of Skywatch from your previous excursions with the terrorist organization OZ. Long story short, we are a secret Osean organization tasked with researching and defending the country from extraterrestrials. Recent events have brought us into the light and at the President's mercy." _Horiuchi said. _"Though some would argue otherwise, many in Skywatch don't see you Autobots or Minicons in a preferable light no thanks to past encounters of your kind, and many would see you all in chains, exiled off Terra, or dead. That is where command and I differ."_

Astroscope crossed his arms, refraining from deleting the message. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to hear this guy out.

"_I see the value in your people. I see the honor in philosophy. The Decepticons outclass all of humanity in terms of firepower and after witnessing the power of a Decepticon firsthand, I've learned that humanity cannot fight them alone. Skywatch is well-equipped, but not enough, and I doubt the Atlantians will give a damn about human survival after that mess a few weeks ago." _He continued. _"More importantly, there is a war of opinion going on in Skywatch. Few humans in our ranks share my high opinion of the Minicons and Autobots. Fewer still in Skywatch high command. I intend to change that._

"_It has taken considerable effort to scramble this message to our own receivers while leaving it open to yours. There is no faith in the good intent of the Autobots at Skywatch, and a move like this, were it known, would not be tolerated. So I leave my reputation in your hands. With a few communiques you could destroy my career. This is how important I feel an alliance to be-that I am willing to work outside this restrictive system. Please, Minicons, respond." _

Astroscope heard a loud cough behind him and looked behind him to see Roll Bar leaning on the console with an unreadable expression.

"Astroscope, we better call Sparkplug in."

A few minutes later, Sparkplug, Roll Bar, and Astroscope stood in the command center watching the message again. Sparkplug watched the recording in its entirety before starting the discussion.

"This…is not what I was expecting in terms of a new development." Sparkplug said.

"I know about Skywatch. I heard Rodimus mention them once. I think OZ was planning to pin the blame on the Fallon incident on Skywatch to gain the government's trust." Roll Bar said.

"And I heard the Skywatch director's been giving the Autobots a hard time when it came to getting support from the government and military." Astroscope muttered. "Even Prime can't find a decent thing to say about them. Why are they contacting us?"

"It's not the entire group, just this Colonel apparently. I'm not surprised that Skywatch doesn't trust us, so he must be doing all this in secret." Sparkplug said, rubbing his chin. "Perhaps he's doing this as a gesture of goodwill between our races."

"Or to lure us out and capture us. They can't tough the Autobots because of political reasons, but we're good targets for everyone across the board." Roll Bar said.

"Well, what do we do? Ignore them or go see this through?" Astroscope asked.

Sparkplug thought about his options for the moment, possibly weighing the consequences before making a decision. "Let's give our kind-hearted colonel a call. See what he really wants."

XXXXXX

"Is this the place?" Wreckage asked Darkshadow."

The Razor commander stood underneath a rocky outcropping overlooking a dense forest in Yellowstone. Wreckage and Fracture accompanied her on the scouting mission, not to solely protect her, but mainly out of curiosity.

"It is. Sprawl had been very forthcoming with the coordinates of the humans' base." Darkshadow said, recalling the very lengthy debriefing Sprawl gave Megatron.

Wreckage eyed the building skeptically. "Looks like a dump. You sure this is a Skywatch base?"

"They're just hiding in plain sight, using the old buildings in empty towns as their cover. Pretty smart way to operate, but this only isolates them from any reinforcements they might expect when they see us." Fracture said. "Darkshadow, how do we go about this?"

Darkshadow smirked. "Fall upon them as wolves on prey."

Inside the covert operations base, Agent Sean McCourie was helping oversee the transportation of their assets from the base. Orders from high command had forced the local personnel to strip the base bare and relocate to an "approved" military location. Or what was left after Grimlock tore a hole in the side of the building.

"This is a freaking mess." Sean muttered lazily. His partner, Agent Cole Keller, grunted in agreement.

"Be glad they didn't completely shut us down. The only reason we're still wearing badges is thanks to Hollander's silver tongue." Cole said. She grimaced as a truck hauled a mangled wreck of a talos past them. "Skywatch is not in a good position, Sean. We're one bad decision away from the Senate putting us down."

"And our fearless leaders seem to be the ones making all the bad decisions." Sean sighed.

Skywatch was slowly becoming divided as the months went by. Jackson and Powers were becoming increasingly wary, or even hostile, towards the Autobots, their inherent distrust clouding their judgement. This put them at odds with people who do support the Autobots, like Veronica, and led to some pretty harsh verbal duels in the open. No one knows what Hollander thought, but he seemed to be keeping his cards close to his chest for the moment. Skywatch was no longer a united organization, and it was only going to get worse as the Autobots gained more popularity.

"How long until the airships are fully loaded?" Sean asked

"About an hour. Once we have everything loaded, we can-"

There was a loud explosion that shook the base and Sean and Cole were immediately on guard. Alarms went off and the security teams were already moving to the scene as more explosions went off.

"Perimeter alarm? Are we under attack?" Sean asked.

"What I want to know is who's attacking us!" Cole yelled.

They ran to the hangar entrance and saw the unexpected sight of a black and blue Decepticon attacking the disguised talos hangars. Wreckage and Fracture threw frag grenades that destroyed both the buildings and the vehicles inside them. Further back, Cole saw Darkshadow smirking at the destruction.

"Decepticons!" Cole yelled. "Mobilize all units. Take them out! And someone call tactical command for reinforcements!"

"Cole, our comms aren't even working. We won't be able to get the message out." Sea said, ripping out his earpiece. He pulled Cole aside as a flaming truck slammed into the ground beside them. "Have any available talos we have hold them off so the airships can leave. If they stay, they'll get shot down."

Cole wanted to object, but she knew it was pointless. Three hangar bays were already destroyed, essentially cutting their mecha forces in half. Soldiers and what talos could be spared were already engaging the Cons with heavy artillery to drive them back.

"Let's go." Cole said bitterly. "Have everyone get on any vehicle that can fly or has wheels and get the hell out of here before that bitch starts raining down bombs on us."

The two agents ran back to the hidden airstrip where three black airships were parked, waiting to lift off. But as they reached the aircraft hangar, Cole and Sean came upon the horrific sight of Minicons attacking the airships and the personnel there.

"No!" Cole yelled, pointing her assault rifle at a Minicon planting charges on the side of an airship.

Leader-1 caught sight of Cole and grinned before transforming to vehicle mode and pointing his twin pulse cannons at the duo. Cole and Sean jumped away as he starting shooting at them.

"_Are the charges set, Leader-1?" _Darkshadow asked over the comm.

"Primed for detonation." Leader-1 said. "But what about the humans? Some of them have already gotten away in ground transports."

"_Let them run. They can tell their masters just what happens when they mess with the Decepticons. Now light it up."_

Leader-1 signaled Search and Cannon to pull back with him. Once they were at a safe distance, Leader's pressed the button on the remote. In a blinding flash and a deafening boom, the Skywatch airships exploded in balls of fire. Anyone caught in the blast radius was incinerated by the intense flames. At this point, the humans were already falling back, running or driving away from their falling base.

"Wow, that's loud." Wreckage said. He watched another explosion rip apart the base near the heart of the town and whistled. "Nothing like watching your enemies go up in flames, eh, Fracture?"

Fracture's attention was on the gunships and combat helicopters fleeing the area. "We're just going to let them run?"

"Of course not." Wreckage laughed. Darkshadow flew over them in jet mode and began launching missiles at the choppers. "See? Darkshadow has it handled."

Riding shotgun inside a Humvee they managed to snatch up, Cole watched the chaos with a stone cold expression. She saw hundreds of men and women fight and die against the three Decepticons, going up in flames or ruthlessly crushed underfoot. Even Sean's normally exuberant attitude was subdued.

"Where did they even come from? Hell, how did the even know where to find us?" Sean questioned. He looked at his partner. "Cole?"

"I don't have the answers, Sean, so stop asking." Cole said. "But it's very clear that this was just a follow up attack to the one done to us six months ago. The Decepticons just declared war on Skywatch."

XXXXXX

Sparkplug and Roll Bar stood hidden behind a rocky hill a few miles from their base with Emulator and Undertone coming along for extra security. Two miles out stood the small forms of the colonel and two others, standing next to a crate that their infrared scanner couldn't pierce.

"That the rendezvous point?" Roll Bar asked. Sparkplug nodded.

"According to Liftor, the colonel has apparently cloaked themselves to their own sensors so that they can do this in secret. Sparkplug said. "I have to say, I'm impressed with the lengths they've gone to in order to make this happen."

"Still, Sparkplug, let's make sure." Roll Bar looked at Emulator. "Emulator?"

The red feline's large green eyes switched spectrums to infrared, scanning the terrain for any sign of unwanted visitors or spies.

"Any sign of hidden reinforcements?" Sparkplug asked.

"I'm not seeing anything in the vicinity, nya. If they're out of range, they shouldn't be a danger to you." She said, he plug-like tail swishing about in agitation. "I'm more worried about that crate they have with them. It's massive, heavy and completely opaque to my scans, nya."

"If it's that heavy, then there's no way they could've brought it in a regular truck." Roll Bar said.

"Think others might still be nearby?"

"Maybe. If nothing else, they probably expect us to take it with us."

Sparkplug sent Roll Bar a dry smile. "Maybe it's a present. That'd be nice."

Ha!" Roll Bar laughed.

"Or maybe it's a bomb." Undertone said, catching his companions' attention.

"Wait, you think they'd blow themselves up in a self-termination attack?"

"Suicide attack." Undertone corrected. "And yes, some humans will go to great lengths to wipe us out in defense of their country or planet. We've all seen how far they'll go."

"Yeah, we have." Sparkplug thought about it and sighed. "We won't learn anything waiting for them to move first. This could be beneficial to us in the long run at least."

"Sparkplug, there could be dozens of things out there that I can't pick up with me eyes, nya." Emulator said.

"She's right. Skywatch isn't afraid to turn us into weapons against their own kind. They won't risk meeting even us without backup." Roll Bar cautioned.

"Hence why I'm bringing Undertone along for extra protection." Sparkplug and Undertone slid down the hill and transformed. "Leadership has risks, Roll Bar. Why do you think I'm hanging out with Optimus?"

Out at the rendezvous point, Horiuchi and his two lieutenants, Klonowski and Larson, stood waiting for the two Minicons to reach them. The colonel was outwardly calm, but his companions were a bit…antsy.

"Here he comes." Horiuchi said.

"Yeah, if that's the leader at all and not just a cruise miss aimed at us." Klonowski grumbled.

"No, it's him. Call sign Sparkplug. Not clear on who his partner is, though." Larson said, lowering her binoculars.

"All right then. I'll do the talking." Horiuchi told his aids. "Let's see if that intel is worth what it cost us."

The three agents waited for Sparkplug and Undertone to dive up and assume robot mode before saluting him. If the colonel showed any awkwardness at greeting a cybertronian no bigger than a child, he certainly didn't show it.

"Hello, Sparkplug!" Horiuchi greeted sharply. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine, colonel." Sparkplug said, shaking his hand. "This is my friend, Undertone. My friends didn't want me going in alone, so I brought him along."

Undertone said nothing, but he bowed his head in greeting. Horiuchi returned the gesture.

"I understand if you're confused as to why we're here, Sparkplug, so I'll simply get to the point. The reason we brought this to you." Horiuchi pointed to the crate. "Is this-we need an army."

"Uh, don't you have one?" Sparkplug asked.

"We do. One that's three quarters on standby and under intense scrutiny by the executive branch thanks to our colossal failure without then-unknown captured cybertronians." He explained. "Strictly speaking, Skywatch is under house arrest, and we are the only group on the planet with the knowledge and resources capable of not only combating the Decepticons but also locating your missing Minicon friends."

Sparkplug narrowed his eyes. "Colonel, what are you proposing here?"

"Sparkplug, I'm proposing that you and your Minicons come work for us. I'm proposing that we form a strike team of humans and Minicons to help finish your mission to locate the rest of your kin and fight off the Decepticons behind the public eye." Horiuchi turned to Klonowski. "Lieutenant, if you please…"

Klonowski entered a code in the security pad and popped the crate open. Inside were a pile of badges in the shake of the Skywatch logo.

"It's taken a solid month for our people to create this tech, using loyalists in the major weapons manufacturers. Allodyne, Dynamic, Dark Matter Logic-they're the ones that made our talos on the side." Horiuchi said.

"Never seen 'em." Sparkplug noted. "And hopefully today won't be the first?"

"Don't worry, you're safe. Even our Mobile Armor units are confined to base." The colonel said. "We're had the top people working on this project secretly-using intel no one outside Skywatch knows."

"You may not know this, but Skywatch satellites were designed to track living energon signals using data acquired from our dormant cybertronian prisoners." Lieutenant Larsen said. "They can track and record your location down from the visual 6-mile radius to 1000 yards. At best, any robot has thirty minutes before a Skywatch team has dispatched to its location."

Sparkplug looked at his timer on his wrist panel. "Uh, how long again?"

"But now," Horiuchi held up a badge. "These badges scramble your exact location so that you're back at the 6-mile radius again. You're both harder to find to our sats and muffled to terrestrial ground energon detectors. Moreover, the signal identifies itself to our system as friendly."

"Hmm. That's…impressive," Sparkplug said. Undertone eyed the badges with a critical eye. "But colonel, forgive me, but why do you need us? We're Minicons, critical as our role may be in this conflict in Terra, by ourselves, we aren't that useful."

"Well," Horiuchi's expression turned grim. "Larson, show him the pictures."

Larson pulled some pictures out of her vest and handed them to Sparkplug, who looked them over with his own grim expression. The photos were of a devastating attack and showed many humans dead-some not even in one piece. They were all depicting massacres of different levels of brutality, all caused by wide spread destruction common among Decepticon raids.

"A week ago, Dynamic was brutally attacked by three Decepticons, their designations unknown, and they were supported by a group of Minicons. A few days ago, the same attack happened at Allodyne. Seventy people are confirmed dead and the attacks were led by Leader-1."

"Yes, I know him very well." Sparkplug said. "He excels in operations like this when not acting as Megatron's power-up."

"We don't know what he wants, but their attacks are thorough and devastating. They don't want any witnesses announcing their plans." He said. "And what's disturbing is that there's evidence that they're attacking Skywatch affiliated facilities, pointing to the fact that they know about us."

"And you want us to investigate this without alerting your superiors or the Autobots until the time is right." Sparkplug deduced. Horiuchi smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Together we can figure out the Decepticons' motives and should it escalate into a battle at large, you can notify your Autobot comrades." He said. "I believe we can work together to make Terra a safer place for both our peoples, and this is the first step in that direction. Are you in, sparkplug?"

Back at the ridge, Roll Bar and Emulator were still waiting anxiously for their leader. Emulator was playing with her tail when she finally got sick of waiting.

"What's he doing, nya?"

"The colonel's giving him something. Looks like a…dinner plate?" Roll Bar said, trying to make out what was going on. "Hey, they're coming back."

Roll Bar and Emulator went to meet up with Sparkplug and Undertone as they drove up to them. Roll Bar immediately caught sight of a badge on the yellow mech's chest.

"Sparkplug, what's that?" Roll Bar asked.

"I'll explain the details later. But as of now," Sparkplug took on robot mode with a hard look in his eyes. "We're back in business."

XXXXXX

Leader-1 forgot how much he loved leading assaults on the field personally. In a wat between giants, one couldn't do much when you were barely past their ankles, it's hard to truly get in on the action and let loose. But on Terra, with enemies the same size as him, he could let go and kill as many people as he wanted. Even better when his victims were humans who thought they could get away with using Decepticons as weapons.

When they returned to the Nemesis with Soundwave, Ravage and Laserbeak were quick to inform Megatron of their capture at Skywatch's hands, who dug them up from the volcano following their defeat at Bludgeon's hands and tried to use them as scouts to sniff out other cybertronians. Megatron was furious, of course, and had ordered the destruction of that accursed base their comrades were being kept in, capturing most of the essential personnel. Soundwave had gotten a lot of information from the prisoners that proved useful, especially from that man, Joshua Red.

Skywatch was nowhere near the same level as OZ on the threat level scale, but they were pretty high in terms of annoyance. Digging up the Dynobots and reprogramming them into living weapons? Using Ravage and Laserbeak as their own little alien bloodhounds? To think that they thought they could use cybertronians to fight other cybertronians. Powerful as they were, the Dynobots were not the strongest warriors out there (but Primus knew they were high up on the list).

For the past six months the Decepticons had been hunting down Skywatch cells across the country, and even abroad as well, in retaliation for their slight against them. Normally the Cons wouldn't pay so much attention to one little measly organization, but they weren't taking chances after OZ's growing danger to their mission on Terra. Aside from attacking the facilities that were found in Red's memories, they also had to gain whatever data they could from the surviving bases, which is where Leader-1 and the Mini-Cons came in. His job was basically kill all the humans to leave no witnesses, get whatever they could find, and leave the place. Things had been slow in regards to finding more targets, but they hadn't run into any problems yet.

Their target was another Skywatch base, an underground research facility hidden way out in the Mojave Desert with a regular military base on the surface acting as some half-assed decoy. The place even had a hologram posing as a guard! What made it even more ridiculous was that according to their intel, this base was called the Pit. What a joke.

There was only one way in and out of the Pit, an elevator shaft 1 meter wide for soldiers and vehicles to enter and leave, and possibly a hidden airstrip for aircraft, but Leader-1 didn't care about that. The Pit was going to be their tomb.

"Kill them all and leave no survivors! We came here for one thing and one things only!" Darkshadow told her team.

They struck with the fury of the entire Decepticon team. Wreckage blew a hole in the shaft and went down first with Guncannon and Demolishor in tow, initiating a devastating first strike on the unsuspecting humans. No room to run, no room to fight, and no room to call for help of any kind.

What few military vehicles and talos they were able to bring online was brought out to fight off the ground unit, but Wreckage, Demolishor and Guncannon was like taking on a wall of M1 Abrams tanks. The three Cons just forced themselves through whatever came their way and provided ample distraction for the enemy forces so that the Mini-Cons could sneak into the base and make their way toward their main objective-the base's servers.

"Shoot down anyone in your way. Don't slow down or we're leaving you behind." Leader-1 said.

Leader-1 was already moving onward, following the directions that he ripped out of his last hostage. Behind him, Search was using his sensory equipment to locate the mass of data transmitting from the main servers while the Air Military Team swooped down on the humans, dropping bombs down on the enemy soldiers. Cannon, Overload, and Skid-Z covered his rear as he carved a bloody path through the base, making sure to stay hidden from mobile artillery fire.

Looking back at this op, Leader-1 would admit to how odd the Pit was; almost a whole square mile of land was hollowed out underground and looked more like a military based built into the caves around it. There were talos hangars, munition stores, medical facilities and living quarters. Definitely not your average military installation.

"We're close. It's in the larger buildings by the munition plant!" Search said. He quickly shifted forms and sped around the corner. "Somewhere down this stre-"

A tank shell hit the ground in front of him, blasting him back headfirst into a flagpole before landing on his front. The Mini-Cons immediately took cover as mecha tank-type talos rolled into defensive positions, fully armed and ready for combat.

"Slag! Search, you still alive?" Leader-1 yelled. "Search! Answer me, damn it!"

"He's knocked out. Thankfully we know where the servers are." Thunder said.

"Yeah, it's defended by a wall of death." Zapmaster said, ducking as another missile hit way too close to his position. "Call in the Bulks. This is there job!"

"They're too busy drawing out the bulk of this base's forces. We're on our own." Cannon said. "What's the plan boss?"

Leader-1's first inclination was to have the Air Military Team carpet bomb the tanks, but they were busy covering their rear. Luckily for him, he had a secret weapon on hand just for this mission-Soundwave.

"Hope you assholes said your prayers!" Leader-1 chucked the transformed spymaster and took cover behind a fountain. This was going to be messy.

The talos pilots thought Leader-1 had thrown a grenade at them-but it was much worse than that. The tiny cassette player transformed into a 24 foot tall Decepticon. The sight of such a large robot changing from a tiny cassette player was shocking enough for the humans, and Soundwave capitalized on this.

He smashed his fists into the talos, and smacked away the ones he didn't get in his initial attack. Leader-1 felt immense satisfaction at seeing one of those hunks of scrap get crushed, its pilot getting crushed into bloody paste. The others were swiftly smashed apart or blown to bits by a few shots from Soundwave's rocket launcher. The spymaster tore through the team with such ease that he barely had a scratch on him.

"Leader-1," Soundwave said. "Move in and secure the data. I detect more soldiers coming."

"You heard him. Move it!" Leader-1 yelled. Soundwave shrank back into his microcassette form and Leader-1 ran into the server room. It may be too early to celebrate, but Leader-1 felt like they had just won.

XXXXXX

At the same time, miles from the massacre going on, Sparkplug was leading a strike team consisting of Undertone, Emulator, Turbo and Jolt. They, just like the rest of the Minicons, were all sporting nice and shiny Skywatch badges, courtesy of the colonel.

It took some effort to convince the rest of the Minicons of the future benefits of the deal. Fortunately, Sparkplug had a way with words; if they weren't taken with the thought of having allies focusing on the recovery of their kin, then the idea of future sovereignty on Terra did. A home for them to live in, a commune for Minicons. Something they've all been working and fighting to achieve.

But for now, they had to worry about the threats of the present. Their computers had detected four Decepticon signals that appeared close to a human run refinery in a remote area.

"Stay alert." Roll Bar told his team via internal comm. "Rumble and Frenzy are dangerous enough alone, but with Ravage and Laserbeak watching their backs, they could get the jump on us."

"Seems very unlikely, but I'm not complaining." Turbo said, hefting his plasma rifle onto his shoulder. "What's your plan?"

"Wait along the path to the refinery. There are only two straightforward ways to get to the plant on foot, so we only need to wait. Emulator can listen for any noises and the Air Defense Team will keep an eye in the sky." Roll Bar lifted his weapons, a plasma rifle and a photon pistol. "Once we spot the hostiles, we neutralize them before they get their act together."

What they didn't know was that the refinery was a private Skywatch owned facility. Only Sparkplug was privy to this little tidbit, but he figured that they'd be better off just saving the place and chasing the Cons off, no catches. If they can make this alliance work, then they were in luck.

Roll Bar got a beep on his comm from Undertone, just as Emulator announced the arrival of their targets. _"They're coming straight down the path, nya."_

"Got it. Get into position, guys, we get only one shot at this." Sparkplug said.

Roll Bar hid in the trees with Undertone while Gauge's Emergency Team also took their positions. Emulator remained in beast mode to better conceal her red form as it became evident that finding the Cons was going to be easy. They were louder than baboons during mating season.

"This slag is pissing me off!" Frenzy growled. He was in the lead tearing away branches and bushes in their way with Ravage and Rumble following him. "How far are we from this damn place, Ravage? My drills are getting jammed from all these fragging leaves!"

"We're getting close. I can smell the humans' scent in that direction." Ravage said, hopping over a decaying tree trunk. "And stop crying, you moron. Your loud mouth is going to give us away."

"Yeah, bro. I wanna gut somethin' fleshy as much as you do, but it's more fun to catch 'e, by surprise. Can't do that with you whinin'." Rumble said.

"Them's fighthin' words, bro." Frenzy growled, spinning his drills angrily.

"Enough you damn fools. We need to reach the refinery before…" Ravage trailed off, freezing in place as he caught something with his nose. "Wait, hold on."

"What?" Rumble asked.

"I smell something…something strange." Ravage continued to sniff the air and soil around him. "I think we're being followed-gah!"

Something small was shot into Ravage's back and a violent surge of electricity ran through him. It was quick but devastating enough to knock Ravage like a light. Rumble and Frenzy went on guard and faced the forest back to back.

"Who did that?! We know it's you, you little flesh bags!" Frenzy yelled, lifting his photon rifle.

"Come on our and we'll make your deaths as painless as possible." Rumble said, lifting his pile driver arms.

Undertone fell on top of him from above, stabbing his swords into Rumble's shoulders and pulling him aside. Frenzy spun around to help his brother, but Emulator lunged at him from her hiding place, digging her plug-claws into his back and shocking him. Roll Bar and the Emergency Team sprang out from cover shooting at the two brothers.

"Slag!" Frenzy threw Emulator off him and fired his rifle at her. Laser bolts pelted his body as he ran for cover behind a tree. "Laserbeak, we need help down here!"

"I need help up here!" Laserbeak cawed. Above the forest canopy, the avian Con was being assaulted by the small Air Defense Team, who swarmed him like flies, and peppered him with laser blasts from all directions. But the worst part of this ambush for Laserbeak was the incessant chatter of the Minicons as they taunted him.

"Polly want a cracker?" Sonar taunted.

"Cheep, cheep, cheep!" Jetstorm laughed.

"What's the matter, Laserbeak? You chicken?" Runway said.

Laserbeak fired his wing cannons at the trio, trying to shoot down one of them, but they moved expertly in the air so as not to let anyone get singled out by the larger Con. Laserbeak couldn't do anything against them, he was fighting a losing battle!

The situation was worse on the ground. The Minicons were dealing serious damage to the two Cons. Rumble's arms were leaking energon from Undertone's attack and he couldn't use his pile drivers properly. He was only regulated to punching wildly at his enemies as they pushed towards him. Frenzy was in no better position, forced back and unable to emit a sonic scream in danger of bringing down the entire forest on them. The Emergency Team didn't let up on their assault with their powerful weapons, and Undertone and Roll Bar were no joke either. They were in a predicament and it was Ravage who gave the order.

"R-Retreat." Ravage rasped.

"Are you nuts? We ain't runnin' from these pipsqueaks!" Rumble yelled.

"T-Those pipsqueaks are tearing us apart, you idiot! We must retreat or they'll kill us all!" Ravage growled.

"I ain't runnin'!" Frenzy argued.

"Fortunately, it's not your choice to make." Ravage replied.

Ravage activated the recall chip and the four of them disappeared in a beam of light as they were taken away from the combat zone by an orbital bounce. Not the most efficient type of tech to use, but it was good for quick getaways. The four Cons were gone in a heartbeat.

"Goodbye and good riddance." Gauge said.

"We actually won? Holy scrap, we actually beat back Soundwave's pets!" Runway cheered.

"Roll Bar to base, mission complete. We've fought back the Cons." Roll Bar called in.

"_We're hearing you loud and clear, Roll Bar. We'll be sending you-" _The transmission cut off abruptly.

"Sparkplug?"

"_This is Colonel Horiuchi. Well done, Minicons. I'll be sending a Skywatch tactical unit to secure the area." _

"Um…all right. Acknowledged. We'll be out of here in a few minutes." Roll Bar said, feeling very uneasy.

"Hey, Roll Bar, did you know these badges had radios?" Gauge asked.

"No, kind of a big detail to leave out, don't you think?"

"Yeah, and that makes me even more uneasy about all this." Gauge sighed. "I hope our fearless leader knows what he's doing."

"He does, and that's what makes me worried." Roll Bar grumbled as a ground bridge appeared.

XXXXXX

Days passed and things didn't get any easier. Once they learned that the Decepticons were actively attacking Skywatch owned facilities, they tried to figure out why the Cons would go to such great lengths to attack a human organization that was of a lesser threat level than OZ. It was Sparkplug who put the pieces together.

"Maybe Skywatch didn't just have the Dynobots under their control. Maybe they also had a Decepticon as well, which is why the Cons are trying so hard to wipe Skywatch out." He said one afternoon.

"Vengeance?" Jolt hummed. "But, I thought Megatron didn't do revenge missions for his soldiers?"

"Not if it was a matter or Decepticon pride. Remember that whole mess with Gina killing Lugnut? Megatron came after them to set an example, to show that no alien, let alone an organic, got away with killing a mighty Decepticon warrior and lived to boast about it. Skywatch must have made the same mistake and Megatron's out for blood."

"And he's not taking any chances anymore like he did with OZ." Roll Bar said.

"Wait, so Skywatch had captured cybertronians and OZ sabotaged them, leading to those guys being set free, right? Road Storm asked. "So, how the hell did they not notice that they were being punked by an outside party?"

"The human mind is a strange thing under stress, Road Storm. But right now, we need to focus on preventing another attack like before." Sparkplug said.

"But nothing's happened for days, Sparkplug. Haven't got a peep from the Cons since two days ago." Firebot said. "And then there's these badges-I'm not liking this, Sparkplug."

"None of us are." Roll Bar said. Sparkplug sighed.

"Look, one thing at a time. I'll call up the colonel for a full explanation on these badges, but he's busy searching for new targets for us to find. For now, let's just stay calm and-"

"_Attention, Minicons. This is colonel Horiuchi. You have done very well. I can see my faith was not misplaced." _Horiuchi's voice came from the badges as clear as it could be despite the slight interference. _"I'm sorry for the radio silence. The last Decepticon raid was at a major location that led to a lot of deaths and the loss of a valuable intelligence. Things have been…hectic, to say the least."_

"I'm sorry to hear about that, colonel, but we understand." Sparkplug switched on the computer to properly talk with the colonel face to face. "We were just discussing out next move. So far, the Cons seem to alternate between using Minicons as infiltration teams and all out assaults on larger installations. Do you have another possible location for us?"

"_I'm afraid not, Sparkplug. We haven't had much luck on our own end either, so we've inserted a couple of new targets in their place."_

Four new images appeared on the screen. They were blurry, but their identities were clear enough-Crack, Bomb, Shot, and Night Scream.

"The Land Military Team and Night Hunter?" Sparkplug gaped. "Colonel what is the meaning of this? They're not Decepticons, they're Minicons, like us!"

"_I know. It should be easy for you to convince them to turn themselves over." _Horiuchi said calmly. _"We need to be assured that all remaining Minicons are on the side of law and order. Any rogue members-"good guys" though they may be-must be brought into Skywatch custody."_

"Like a smelting furnace that we will!" Road Storm yelled, pushing his way to the front. "Those cool cats are one of us! We don't hunt down members of our own crew, old men!"

Colonel Horiuchi didn't look the least bit concerned with Road Storm's attitude as he spoke to the man next to him. _"Lieutenant Klonowski, what's that one's name?"_

"_Road Storm, sir."_

"_Okay, Road Storm…Road Storm…" _He looked down at something out of view. _"Let's see…number C2. Ah, got it."_

There was a click and Road Storm gave a pained scream as he lurched over and his body suddenly transformed into his motorcycle alt mode and fell over.

"Road Storm!" Sparkplug exclaimed in horror. "What did you do to him?"

"_He's fine, Sparkplug. He's stuck in his vehicle form until his temper cools off." _Horiuchi said.

"Those badges-I think they have some kind of inhibitor in them!" Roll Bar said. He tried pulling his badge off but got a painful shock in return. "Colonel, you son of a bitch!"

"_I'm sorry, Minicons, but you are looking at the latest in our research of the captured cybertronians that escaped Skywatch. These badges are our answer to our lack of means to subdue your kind. You see, this isn't just for public relations that we need the Autobots to be harmless to humanity. It's safety too." _ The colonel said. _"There is a large gap between our technological capabilities and yours-though we have a treaty, there is nothing stopping the Autobots from pretty much doing what they want, laws or not. We can't touch them without sparking an international incident."_

"But you can touch us." Sparkplug growled, feeling angrier than he ever been since awakening on Terra. "You want to use us as hostages to rein the Autobots in."

"_Think of this as keeping the peace. We have the military police keeping us from getting out of control. You have these." _He said, not fazed by Sparkplug's anger at all. _"Now just take a moment, recalibrate those gears, my friends…and go get them." _

XXXXXX

Shot was in a bad moon, which never was a good thing. Problem number one, they were woken up from a pretty decent sleep cycle by Sparkplug. The second problem was they were told to come to the desert around their hideout at noon of all places. Everyone knew an unhappy Shot was an unhappy team. Night Hunter experienced that too many times.

"I'm gonna kill that little glitch." Shot grumbled.

"Shot, just calm down." Night Hunter sighed. Dealing with the Land Military Team was just too exhausting sometimes.

"Can't deny that it's strange, though. Sparkplug's not the type of mech to be so vague." Crack said.

"Must be the stress of having the human media on his aft. I heard there are news teams still searching for the Minicon base for a chance to interview with him." Bomb aid.

"Of course." Crack grumbled.

"Hold up, guys. Just found a ground bridge on our six." Shot said.

The four-mech team went towards where they saw Sparkplug coming out of the portal. Night Hunter instantly noted how the yellow Micron leader looked really depressed and lifeless, not his usual bright self. Something about his dour expression didn't sit well with him.

"Sparkplug!" Night Hunter greeted his friend, hoping that Sparkplug was just having a bad day. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise." Sparkplug smiled, though it was obviously forced. "How are things with you and the LM Team?"

"Uh, we're not trying to kill each other, so that's a plus." Night Hunter said.

"What's with the badge?" Shot abruptly asked. His heavy armored frame tensed up when he monitored Sparkplug's expression.

"It's a new badge, for a new team." Sparkplug said slowly. "Guys, we've managed to score a deal with a colonel from that Skywatch group I told you about. He's willing to help us with what resources he has at his disposal…with some conditions."

"What conditions?" Crack asked cautiously.

"Guys, things have changed in the last couple of days, and we Minicons have a big job ahead of us."

"Be straight with us, Sparkplug, what's going on? You're acting weird." Night Hunter asked.

"Shot." Bomb whispered, noticing the other Minicons approaching them in a circle.

"I see 'em." Shot replied, not looking away from Sparkplug. "What the hell did you get yourself into, Sparky?"

"These badges were given to us by the colonel, who wants us to investigate the attacks on the Skywatch facilities and apprehend any…rogue elements." Sparkplug said.

It did take long for Shot to get his meaning. "You bastard! Arm up, team!"

The Land Military Team immediately raised their weapons at Sparkplug and the others, but Night Hunter got between them

"What the hell are you doing?" Night Hunter growled.

"This piece of slag sold us out to the humans!" Shot shouted. "Capture us rogues and pass us over to them like cattle to those damn fleshies so they can sleep easier!"

"I'm sorry, Shot but we don't have a choice."

"I don't care!" Shot transformed into his tank mode and shot a pulse blast at Sparkplug, hitting him in the chest. As Sparkplug was thrown back by the blast, Emulator rushed out of the ground bridge lobbing an EMP grenade at them.

"No!" Night Hunter cried out before he and the others were taken out by the EMP surge.

"Sparkplug!" Roll Bar ran over to Sparkplug, who was clutching his chest.

"I'm okay! Th-that shot hit me dead center. I should be in stasis." Sparkplug breathed.

"It could be that." Roll Bar pointed to the badge on Sparkplug's chest, which was smoking and sparkling. "Those things may allow the colonel to spy on us and zap us when we disobey, but at least they're good for something."

"Yeah," Sparkplug muttered. "Emulator, are they secure?"

"Yeah, they are, nya." Emulator said.

"All right, take them back to base. We're not handing them over to Horiuchi. I've got a bone to pick with that piece of slag." Sparkplug growled.

XXXXXX

Sparkplug ordered their prisoners to be taken to their quarters and watched over while he dealt with the colonel. As expected, Colonel Horiuchi appeared on the monitor not looking very happy.

"_Sparkplug, what is the meaning of this? Where are your prisoners?"_ He demanded. _"You were supposed to turn them over to Skywatch heavy transport at 0830 today."_

"I thought the badges told you everything. They're here with us, and we're not turning them over." Sparkplug said.

"_What?!" _For the first time since they met, Sparkplug saw Horiuchi lose his composure. _"Sparkplug, perhaps you have forgotten our arrangement, but-"_

"No, I haven't. I know you can disable us from that board of yours. There is no arrangement, its slavery, plain and simple. The very thing we Minicons left Cybertron to escape." Sparkplug growled. He didn't break his gaze from the Colonel's as he continued. "Today, one of my comrades, a member of the group I risked everything to free from warfare and slavery, tried to kill me. And to be honest, I don't blame him. I'd do the same thing if my commander asked me to do the unacceptable."

Sparkplug shook his head. "Do you see, colonel? I asked him to become what I've become and he would rather have killed me than let that happen."

"_Sparkplug, these are the pitfalls of command. You are inexperienced. You will get better."_

"No, this won't happen again. The only reason you have a leash on us is because you people are incapable of touching the Autobots. We're slaves and hostages to be used against our will to harm our friends," Sparkplug said passionately. "And I'm done doing your dirty work!"

"Sparkplug, what are you doing?" Roll Bar asked. Sparkplug just gave him a confident smile.

"_Sparkplug, you haven't experienced the kill-switch, so I understand your bravery. Perhaps you should ask your impetuous friend Road Storm. He knows what you're setting yourself up for." _Horiuchi said.

Sparkplug just glared up at him defiantly.

"_If you think that this show of passive resistance will impress me, you are sorely mistaken." _Horiuchi ran his finger across the control board for Sparkplug's ID number. _"I have risked everything to do this. I won't allow you to stop me from helping you help my world."_

"The fact that you can still veil all of this under honeyed words is just sad, colonel." He replied.

Horiuchi scowled. _"So be it, Sparkplug. B3."_

There was a click, but nothing happened. Sparkplug looked at his still smoking badge, expecting some painful shock any moment now, but nothing happened. Roll Bar, Emulator, and Astroscope looked at him in surprise.

"_What's the matter with this thing? Klonowski, get over here!" _Horiuchi growled.

Roll Bar was the first to realize what was going on and leaned over to Sparkplug "Sparkplug, play along! Scream! Transform! Don't let him know you're free. Do it, quickly!"

Sparkplug complied and gave the "best" scream he could manage, stumbling back and collapsing into vehicle mode. Horiuchi made a pleased sound, grateful that it worked.

"_Do you see now, Sparkplug? This is what stands in the way of progress. We need you standing with us, all of you." _He said, trying to sound sympathetic to their struggle. _"We have no desire to make you our enemy. I'm releasing your vehicle mode lock now, so please let's-"_

"Colonel Horiuchi, hold on-there's something wrong. He can't seem to transform." Roll Bar said.

"_What?"_

"Yes, it's his badge. It was damaged. It must be stuck in lock mode."

"_Blast it! I released him! Klonowski, what is he talking about." _The colonel growled.

"_Sir, I'm sure he's correct. Roll Bar is the technician on their team. If it won't allow him to change, then we'll need to go out there and replace it." _Klonowski said. Horiuchi groaned.

"_Couldn't our people have made these things a little sturdier? I mean..." _Horiuchi took a deep breath. _"Fine. Minicons, we are coming to your headquarters at 0800 hours. Until then, I am appointing Roll Bar as interim leader. Horiuchi out."_

The minute the screen went dark, Sparkplug changed forms and stood up. "Good call, Roll Bar. Faking out a glitch kill switch yet switching the truth around? Annie would be proud. What's our next plan?"

He was expecting suggestions from his team, but no one said anything. Sparkplug blinked in confusion for a moment before it clicked.

"Oh, I get it. Your badges still work. You're all still monitored on the Colonel's radio. And I'm the only one who can move and speak freely. Right, Roll Bar?" Sparkplug asked his friend, who nodded silently.

Sparkplug took a minute to properly plan his next move. "First thing's first, we need a replica of me to act in my place while I go find a way to free you. Maybe…a holomatter projection, nothing fancy, just something that can fool the colonel. Can you do that?"

Roll Bar and Liftor both nodded, making Sparkplug smile. "Okay. Now while you're doing that, I'm going to need some help from our…friends." His face fell. "I am so sorry I dragged you all into this. But I'm going to fix this…or die trying."

XXXXXX

Megatron tapped a finger on his crossed arms as he waited for Soundwave to sift through the data Leader-1's unit had collected from the Pit. It was a successful mission all around, but Megatron was interested in what they brought back, to see if it was worth the effort.

"How long until you decrypt the data, Soundwave?" Megatron asked.

"It will take a while the decrypt the data due to the layers of firewalls around it, Megatron." Soundwave said. His head was connected to the main computer with a cable as he helped the AI unravel the protection surrounding the massive amounts of data they acquired.

"We're taking a big risk here, Megatron." Nightshade told her leader. "Skywatch is nowhere near the same level as OZ, but they have weapons capable of dealing significant damage to us. Leader-1 already told me that they might have weapons reverse-engineered from their captured cybertronians."

"All the more reason to wipe them out. These humans didn't even have an inkling about us and yet they think they can keep our kind in chains. It's time to teach them the folly of their hubris." Megatron said. "They are a secret organization, and thus they can't call for help from just anybody, not even from the Autobots, without risking exposing their dirty little secrets."

Megatron knew what he was doing. This had nothing to do with the war; this was revenge, a matter of pride. Two Decepticons were treated like animals and nearly turned against their own kind, putting their mission on this planet at risk. The sheer arrogance of such backwater humans who think they're protected thanks to their government contacts. This will be paid back in blood, and Megatron intended to collect the due.

"Megatron, we're receiving a message over our comm channel from orbit." Soundwave said.

"Who is it?"

"It is the Decepticon Seeker, Sprawl."

XXXXXX

Sparkplug supposed that he was lucky that Shot was locked behind bars, because the minute he stepped into his sights, Shot tried to strangle him. Night Hunter calmed him down just long enough to properly explain the circumstances to his comrades.

"Thanks to you, I'm off the colonel's grid, and I'm having Liftor and Roll Bar make a holomatter of my alt mode to fool him. Right now, I need allies to help me find a way to get the others free and you're the Minicons only Minicons I can count on." He said.

"So this all boils down to you screwing up and getting us all into deep slag." Shot said. It wasn't an accusation, he made it sound like he was crudely stating a fact. "You really expect us to help you dumb ass after tryin' to capture us?"

"Tone it down, Shot." Night Hunter said. "But he has a right to be mad. What possessed you to make deals with Skywatch after knowing what they tried to do with the Cons?"

"It was a rogue group I thought genuinely wanted to help us. No one could've expected them to have technology like that at their disposal." Sparkplug saw that Shot wasn't budging and decided to lay down the law. "Look, Shot, you owe me at least one favor after shooting me in the chest. If you want to think that I'm unfit to lead, go ahead…but I am the leader. As long as you wear the Micron symbol, you are under my authority, understood?"

'Holy slag.' Night Hunter thought as he looked between Sparkplug and Shot. Crack and Bomb were also expecting (and hoping) for a fight. But it seemed Shot was barely restraining himself, arms tightly crossed across his chest.

"I'm not asking you to do this for me. I'm asking you, not ordering you, to help me save our friends we're a team and we have a job to do. It's not any more complicated than that, Shot. I'm here as a friend and as a teammate for your help."

Shot was silent for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I'll help you. So will the others, I'm guessing, but only on the condition that you get those kids to lend a hand as well."

"The kids?" Sparkplug asked. "Why involve them?"

"To keep you from shooting us in the back. Screw us over and you pals get dragged down along with us." Shot said darkly. "And right now, I trust those brats more than I trust you."

XXXXXX

Later that day, Sparkplug stood in front of his Minicon team, who were assembled in the command center.

"Minicons, we have reached a decision. None of you can speak without giving something away to the colonel and his people, so let me give voice to your fears." Sparkplug said. "I have stood up to an enemy who has wrapped his hands around our necks. I am embarking on a mission which could if discovered, put us all in danger of being scrapped. I've brought all of you to the brink of oblivion, but let me tell you one thing…I will not let that happen."

Sparkplug looked at the faces of his team, the mechs and femmes who trusted him. "You put your trust in me and I led you into a cage…just as I led us all here, to Terra. Here we are factching a humans' rogues in exchange for mercy, and let me tell you, that is not a life to live. You all stood by me and I have trapped you a second time-unable to speak of anything but the most banal of pleasantries. Let me tell you, that will not continue."

'You tell it, Sparkplug.' Roll Bar thought.

"Minicons, you have to be patient. You must continue to follow the colonel's orders. Be silent and do not give away our intentions." Sparkplug said. "I'm working with the LM Team and the children to get us out of this mess and bring Horiuchi to justice."

Sparkplug reached up and tore off his badge. "Minicons of the Exodus, I won't let you down. I will disable these badges and free you. We determine our own destiny, and together we will decide how to show humanity exactly what we're made of. And show the colonel that he shouldn't be worried about the Autobots…he should be worried about us."

XXXXXX

When he ground bridged to Gina's home the next morning, he was expecting the disappointing looks on the children's faces when he saw them. Even still, it hurt to see such disappointment aimed at him, especially from the children.

"I can't believe you, Sparkplug. You're usually not this sloppy when it comes to things like this." High Wire said.

"And after everything we told you about Skywatch." Gina said, sighing. Darren, however, wasn't in the mood for berating an already beaten down Sparkplug.

"There's no sense in scolding Sparkplug when he's already learned his lesson. Right now, we need to focus on the mission." Darren said.

"He's right." Sureshock said. The tightness of her voice made Sparkplug wince. "What's your plan, Sparkplug?"

Sparkplug gave them an update; Roll Bar had developed a text-only system that used a frequency unknown to the humans. It had to be assumed that their total comm output will be monitored by Skywatch code breakers, so they had to keep massages to a minimum. Speaking in cybertronian would only arouse their suspicions.

"_I've applied the faulty badge to your decoy avatar." _Liftor said via text-speech. _"My study of the badge reveals components: standard microchip array, incapacitating battery camouflaged as redundant power backup and radar cloak."_

The radar cloak's primary component is stabilized darmstadium. A very rare, very heavy and very secret metal currently being tested in Osean talos as new armor composite. Despite the relatively small percentage of recipitants, the best way to do it would be to see who receives the largest amount.

Sparkplug waited until dark to head out into the shipping yard to investigate the crates just loaded into port. For this mission, he had Gina's Athena watching over him and Centurion while cloaked.

"I'm sending you the possible crates containing darmstadium. Two crates match its weight calculations and my scans show it's most likely to be the one closer to you." She told them.

"Roger that." Sparkplug said as he and Centurion climbed the fence.

The two Minicons headed towards the third container on the far left, where Centurion glided over to the side to see where it was being transported to.

"Dark Matter Logic." Centurion said.

"The colonel said something about having loyalists inside Dark Matter Logic and Allodyne build those badges." Sparkplug said. "All right, we're learned all that we needed to know. Let's head-"

Centurion grabbed his arm and pulled him aside as a plasma beam shot past where he was standing. The shot came from Leader-1, who was marching down from the sea with the Sea Team flanking him.

"Looks like you landlubbers ran into our booty before we did." Oceanglide said. "Can't have that, can we?"

"Don't even think about it." Centurion pointed his cannons at them. "You may outnumber us, but I'm strong enough to fight all of you."

"And he won't be alone." Sparkplug said, pointing his rifle at Leader-1.

"All of us? Does that include our other friend, too?"

An explosion came from where Gina's talos was sitting on the hill, surprising Centurion and Sparkplug.

"Gina!" Centurion yelled.

His distraction allowed Waterlog to fire his torpedo at the gestalt, causing Centurion to leap over the project. Leader-1 transformed and fired his twin cannons at Sparkplug, who quickly backed away from the crates.

"Gina, are you alright?" Sparkplug called out. "Please tell me you aren't hurt!"

He got his answer when Gina's talos came crashed down onto the container next to him, smashing the crate with its weight. It was covered in light burns, but also sported a large dent in its torso, as if something large and heavy had slammed into it.

"Gina?" Centurion called out.

"I'm fine. I just got caught by surprise. Jinkies…" Gina moved her talos to grab Sparkplug and Centurion and fly away before a missile hit the crate she was sitting on. The Mini-Cons avoided the fiery debris that nearly hit them.

"Watch it, Sprawl! You'll fry us like a pot of lobsters!" Oceanglide yelled. An large dark blue bomber jet flew overhead at high speeds.

"But I didn't, did I? Now you brats better scram before I level this entire port trying to hit the purple one." Sprawl said.

The Athena glided along trails of Sol particles as it weaved through the shipyard with the large Seeker on their tail.

"Gina, what's going on? How did he find you?" Sparkplug asked.

"No idea. The guy just appeared behind me like a ninja and kicked me off the hill before I could do anything." Gina said. "Hold on, I need to get us out of here!"

"But the darmstadium!" Centurion protested.

"We have enough info to continue from there, but I can't fight this guy with you two in tow." Gina said. She pressed a button and Teletran-1 sent out an emergency ground bridge for them.

Sprawl continued his pursuit of them, but he cut off his engagement when the purple and silver talos vanished into the portal. "Speedy little fraggers, aren't they?"

"Humans have made an art out of running." Leader-1 said.

"Shame we didn't torch out buddies. Bet Megatron would've been happy about that."

"They weren't our mission. This is." Leader-1 pointed to the remains of the crate Sparkplug was investigating.

"So what is this going to tell us? Your sky dancer fellow did some mighty large damage to it already." Oceanglide inquired.

Sprawl landed behind him in robot mode. "It tells us that we're on the right track."

XXXXXX

"Colonel?" Lieutenant Larson gently shook the sleeping colonel. "Colonel!"

"What is it? Are we there yet?" Horiuchi jolted up in his seat, rubbing his eyes.

"No, Colonel, not yet. A few more minutes." Larson looked at him, a bit concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry, I'm fine, Lt. Larson. Just up late coordinating some details with Collins at Satcom." Horiuchi said, rubbing his face. "Using code so it looks like normal information transfer is…time consuming. It's just a little hard keeping all the plates spinning."

Lt. Klonowski frowned and looked out at the dense forest around them. "We're running out of loyalists, sir. Our many Lopez at the Phillips station was transferred to surveillance after some "questionable energy allocation". And I just got word of a Decepticon showing up at the docks before leveling it." Klonowski gave the colonel a hard look. "Colonel, if this little operation doesn't net us a Con before too long, we're going to be-"

"Yes, Lt. Klonowski, you've made it clear before. Those of us at the top are feeling it the most. The Decepticon's capture will be an accomplishment so bright that it will burn away all investigation into our methods." Horiuchi said. "That, plus a team of obedient robot soldiers suddenly on our side? Promotions all around, and definitely no questions asked."

"At least we'll look better than Agent Red's failure with the Thunder Lizard mechs."

"Those Minicons are only obedient to a fault, Colonel. Being restrained by kill switches like dogs on a leash. The least we can do is expect some more resistance like with Sparkplug." Klonowski said.

"They have to understand we all work within parameters. It's the cost of the latitude to operate, and the energy, we've given them. And so long as the Autobots' efforts remain beneficial to humanity, they will be unharmed and untouched."

"Their base is dead ahead, sir." Lt. Larson announced, driving the jeep toward the disguised drive way at the foot of the mountain that held the Minicon's base. "And if I may say, Klownowski, I'd rather be keeping an eye on the little ones than the bot bots entrancing the public."

Klonowski didn't reply but it was clear he didn't approve of such methods. The jeep cruised through the tunnel and stopped in the hangar area where Roll Bar waited with Liftor.

"Welcome, colonel. Thank you for coming." Roll Bar said cordially, though he was inwardly seething. "Sparkplug's state hasn't changed. As for what he said…after some thinking, the rest of us decided to support your plan."

"Yes, excellent Roll Bar." Horiuchi said, stepping out of the jeep with the control case in hand. "In any case, we brought his new badge. This should correct any problems caused by his damaged on."

"Sure, follow us."

As they led the trio to the command center, Liftor gave the lie they practiced with almost surgical precision. "We're not really sure what happened when you hit his kill-switch, colonel. He's stuck in vehicle mode and can't speak."

"Can't speak? These badges aren't designed to cause that kind of incapacitation." Horiuchi frowned. "Just transform and power down. Thinking and speech capabilities should still be green."

"Sorry, colonel. We don't know too much about the badges. The damage must have bypassed a system or two." Liftor shrugged.

Horiuchi hummed once they walked up to the fake holomatter Sparkplug. He nodded to Klonowski. "Get that badge on Sparkplug and let's get him working again."

"Yes, sir.

Roll Bar and Liftor glanced at each other briefly as Klonowski started working on removing the badge. As his subordinate worked, Horiuchi turned back to the two mechs.

"Roll Bar, with the way things have gone in the last 24 hours, I can understand if you Minicons are chaffing a bit at this situation." He said.

Roll Bar cleared his throat. "Uh, well no, of course not, colonel. It's just as we said-"

"It's crucial to stay the course, now, Roll Bar. Success is within our reach." Horiuchi said. "If things go well and you prove yourselves to Skywatch, maybe we can even convince the government to set aside a piece of land for your people. A sovereign nation, safely apart from humans."

"A prison." Roll Bar growled.

"What? No, no, Roll Bar. A reward. A reward for your loyalty and sacrifice." The colonel corrected, as if he was doing them favor.

"Colonel, we're all set."

"Great. Just give me a moment to set up this up." The colonel opened his cased and the pressed the button to release the new badge's kill switch. "Okay, Sparkplug, that should get you to normal. Sparkplug?"

The colonel gave an annoyed grunt and glared down at his board. "For heaven's sake, what's the matter with this thing? Klownoski, tell Sanjay he's got to give me another one of these control boards. I mean this is getting ridiculous."

Horiuchi looked up Roll Bar. "Roll Bar, this malfunctioning badge seems to have damaged him more than we thought. We're short on time, so I'm leaving him to your medics to fix Sparkplug."

"Even if that board's malfunction, it should have sparked some movement." Klownoski muttered.

"Klonowski? You look like you have something to say."

"Uh, nothing, sir. Just a bit tired." The lieutenant said, glancing back at the holomatter suspiciously.

"For the time being, I'm placing you in command, Roll Bar." Horiuchi informed them as he got into his jeep. "For now, I'm afraid, Sparkplug will have to remain that way."

"That's too bad." Roll Bar said, mentally smirking. "Thank you anyway, colonel."

XXXXXX

"The decoy worked!" Sparkplug sighed in relief. Not long after the colonel left, Liftor sent him another coded message. "He says he has a lead on who makes the control boards. Roll Bar's already sending me the info as we speak."

In the middle of Gina's workshop, the children and Minicons were gathered around Gina as she received the information on her computer.

"Sanjay Bharney, a mid-level researcher at Dark Matter Logic, one of the three runner up Talos manufacturing companies. He majors in computer science, mainly creating combat AI for military talos for piloting assistance." Gina listed off. "He also works for Horiuchi will have Barney work on a second control board that effects all badges."

"If properly altered, it could disable all the kill-switch badges." Sureshock theorized.

"Roll Bar said that the target will be at Bharney's residence due to the unofficial nature of the colonel's operation." Gina said. "Well, that saves us the trouble of having to break into a heavily guarded facility and raise alarms."

"Rats." Annie muttered, snapping her fingers. Grindor nudged her in the ribs.

"So how do we get the case?" High Wire asked.

"Let's scout the area and see what we can work with." Sparkplug said. "Once we see an opening, we'll move in and exploit it."

XXXXXX

As it turned out, there was an opening to exploit-a little girl.

Gina scouted out Sanjay's home in a little town where a Dark Matter Logic factory was located, focusing on designing the combat computers and such. He lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood with his daughter. Some snooping by Gina revealed that his wife was a casualty of a Karaba attack three years ago.

"You want us to use her to take the case?" Darren blinked at Sparkplug. "Sparkplug-"

"I know it's wrong to use a child like this, but we can't having you three breaking in and getting caught. The whole operation could crumble if we're not careful, and burglary is out of the question." Sparkplug said.

"It's the only way, Darren." Grindor said. "You and Annie will make contact with the girl and gain her trust. Gina will remain close by cloaked to bring you out in case of an emergency."

"Get there, get the case, and leave." Sparkplug said. "That Con's appearance the other night has me worried."

And so the twins went about their reluctant task of meeting the girl. Posing as two kids visiting town, they road up to the house on High Wire and Grindor, and saw the girl playing jump rope in the front yard. She was a cute girl, small with round rosy cheeks and short brown hair. Seeing her playing happily made the twins remember how things were for them before all of…this.

'I'm going to hell for this. I know it.' Darren thought. "Hey there!"

The girl stopped and looked over to them. She smiled brightly and waved at them. "Hi!"

"Sorry to bother you. We're visiting town with our parents." Darren said. "I'm Darren and this is my sister Annie."

"I'm Serena." The girl said. "You two look the same."

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Annie smirked.

"Say, Serena, is your daddy home?" Darren asked.

"No, he's at work, but he'll be back soon. But my house keeper, Swati's here." Serena chirped. "Um, do you know daddy?"

"We do in fact! He's helping us keep a very important secret and we're just helping him as a thank you." Darren said and turned to his partner. "Sparkplug?"

Serena jumped back when Sparkplug swerved around the corner and transformed into robot mode. Instead of being afraid, she gave a gasp and smiled. "Wow! He's just like the big robots on TV! But…why is he so small?"

"I'm a Minicon, Serena." Sparkplug said. "We're a different kind of robot."

"Oh. Okay. I think you're cool, but daddy doesn't like you very much. We lost mommy when those big dinosaur robots attacked on TV. He says they're all dangerous, but I like the good ones! Especially the yellow one!"

Darren, Annie, and Sparkplug all collectively winced. So the guy they were stealing from had a grudge against all cybertronians. Nice.

'I hate my job.' Grindor thought miserably.

"Well, that's a good way to think, Serena. Not everyone can be good or bad. These robots are our friends, and we want to help your daddy too." Annie knelt down to poke Serena's nose, earning a giggle.

XXXXXX

Klonowski was not as introspective or attentive to details as Larson, but he knew when something didn't add up. And the whole thing at Omega One just rubbed him the wrong way.

Those badges were the latest in anti-NBE technology in Skywatch, born from extensive research into the physiology of the Thunder Lizards. The Minicons were just test runs for if, when, they might have to use similar technology on the Autobots.

Honestly, he thought this whole plan of the colonel's was risky. Despite having a hold over the Minicons as political hostages, the Autobots had a lot of friends in high places that could tear Skywatch down. The ARA, the Atlantians, the President, hell even General Abernathy. Horiuchi didn't seem to consider that their margin for error was suffocatingly small, and that rogue Decepticon didn't make things easier.

Klonowski also noticed that the Minicons seemed docile now. He wasn't stupid, they clearly wanted to tear Horiuchi's head from his shoulders, so hearing them act so complacent set him on edge. So out of curiosity, he reviewed the recording from the past 48 hours for anything out of the ordinary. And he caught it when Roll Bar was discussing strategy with the others…a slight ticking sound.

He got to work on having the computer decrypt the outward comms, which was hard enough when the translations looked like computer code.

"Ugh, Collins was right. This stuff could put you in a coma-what?!" He ran over to Liftor's file, which showed the same code, but also the translated message being center.

_Liftor to Roll Bar: Will Sparkplug be back before this deadline?_

"No, no, no…" Klonowski muttered. "He's gone? So they've been hiding messages in junk code. God, how long has this been going on?"

Looking at the screen, Klownowski saw that the Minicons knew about the control board and its creator Sanjay Bharwaney. What's worse, they were most likely using outside help to get it. He knew this plan was unethical and stupid, and now it was going to crash and burn with every one of them in it!

XXXXXX

"Serena, can I ask you a favor?" Darren asked.

"Okay." Serena nodded.

"Inside your house, your father has a heavy briefcase about the size of my chest." Sparkplug said. "Uh, do you think you could bring it out for me to look at?"

Serena frowned. "Daddy said I'm not supposed to touch his stuff."

"I know, that's true, but Serena…we're just worried that it's broken." Annie said sweetly. "And if your father uses it, he could get hurt."

"I don't want my dad to get hurt." Serena said quietly.

"Neither do we." Sparkplug assured her. "I might be able to, uh, get it fixed."

"Okay." Serena still looked uncertain. "But-"

"Serena!" Her babysitter called out. "Lunch!"

"I'm coming!" Serena called back and looked at the twins. "Okay. I'll bring it out after lunch."

"Sure thing, sweetie. And don't tell Swati." Annie said.

They watched the girl run back into the house, and once she was gone, Sparkplug's expression fell as he contacted Liftor.

_Sparkplug to Liftor: I've made contact with Bharwaney's daughter. Having her retrieve the case._

_Excellent, bring it to base. Will alter._

_How?_

_Can alter control board to burn out power badges and power source of any non-badged bot. you and the others will need to be out of range when operated. Send scan of schematics so I can get started ASAP. _

_Okay. It just feels wrong using the girl like this. _

_I understand, Sparkplug. But if our fears are true, then the Cons are on the same trail as us. Primus help the girl if that Con from earlier hunts her and her father down._

"I got it!" Serena came running back out of the house with a silver briefcase in her hands.

"Holy crap, she actually did it." Annie muttered.

"Swati was doing the dishes, so I just grabbed it." Serena said.

"Great, Serena. That's excellent." Sparkplug smiled. "May I see it, please?"

"Here." Serena handed him the case, which he opened. "So are you going to fix it so my dad doesn't get hurt?"

"Us, personally, well…we can't do it. But a friend of ours can." Darren said. "We can take it to him, but…"

"We might be gone a while." Annie finished for him.

"You will?" Serena didn't seemed too concerned. "Okay, I guess."

Sparkplug had scanned the circuit board and sent the schematics during the conversation. But just as he was about to leave, Liftor called him back.

_Stop. Analysis of the schematics shows multiple tracking beacons in control board. There is no way you could get it back before the colonel notices and locks us all down. Recommend we abort this mission and-_

"Actually, we might be able to fix it here." Sparkplug said. "My friend, Gina, she's close by. You want to meet her?"

"Really? Is she smart like daddy?" Serena asked cutely.

"Very smart." Sparkplug nodded. "While she's doing that, you can play with Darren and Annie."

"Sparkplug?" Darren looked at him confused.

Gina can fix the board under Liftor's instructions. It's simpler than the stuff she works on, so it shouldn't take too long." Sparkplug whispered before turning back to Serena. "Let's get started, shall we?"

"Serena? Who are you talking to?"

Darren, Annie and Sparkplug froze as a man dressed in a business suit walked into the front yard from his parking lot. It was Sanjay Bhawarney.

XXXXXX

"These attacks are bleeding us dry, colonel." Aron Jackson said over the phone. "I don't know how, but the Decepticons are hitting us where it hurts, and what happened at the Pit was only the tip of the iceberg."

"I've just heard that our Philips Base was just leveled." Horiuchi said. "Was it the Decepticons' Mini-Con strike team?"

"No, it was one of our captured assets that broke his leash. Codename: Sprawl. Haven't seen him in months but now he pops up killing our personnel and destroying thousands of dollars in equipment. The Director is dancing on his toes with the President and we're getting torn apart."

"Don't worry, Agent Jackson, I'm already formulating a plan to-"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door and Lt. Larson stepped into his office. "Colonel Horiuchi, I need to speak to you right away!"

"I'll called you back, Jackson. Something's come up." Horiuchi hung up and gave Larson his full attention. "Is something wrong, Larson?"

"I was with our team monitoring the Minicons' comm transmissions on their badges I've noticed something hidden during their talks, a hidden code. I've just finished decoding it, and it's a conversation between Roll Bar and Sparkplug."

"Sparkplug? But he's-"

"Disabled, I know, but…Colonel, the messages were two days old. I think the Minicons have fooled us. I believe Sparkplug is free and seeking outside help!"

Horiuchi stood up sharply, his face an expression of rage. "What?! How in the blazes can he be free?"

"Sir, I don't know, but-"

"Get Klonowski on this, we need to lock them down right away."

"That's just it, sir," Larson said, sharing the colonel's panic. "I can't find Klonowski anywhere. He signed out a talos and deployed with a MA team just a few minutes ago!"

XXXXXX

Ever since he lost his wife to the chaos in Fallon involving those Dynobots, Sanjay had developed a strong hatred of cybertronians. They had brought their war to Terra and had been nothing but trouble since, putting thousands of people's lives in danger just by being closed to them. He believed that the government had a handle on their fighting one time, but that thought went out the window when all those people in Edo were captured or killed during the Autobots' scuffle with Megatron.

He thought he was doing the world a favor when Colonel Horiuchi had him make those badges to restrain the Minicons to keep the Autobots in line, but never would he have expected a Minicon to be in reaching distance of his own daughter.

"What are you doing here?" Sanjay asked, his heart beating rapidly. "Get away from my daughter!"

"Don't worry, we'll leave. Just as soon as we're finished with this." Annie held up the case."

"How did you-Serena?"

"They said they needed to fix it so you would get hurt." Serena said, not liking how scared her father looked.

"No, Serena, they lied." Sanjay spat, glaring at Sparkplug. "You just told her lies to get my device. Tell her!"

Serena looked at Sparkplug. "Sparkplug?"

"It's…true, Serena. I lied. My friends are in deep trouble and I needed that case to help them." Sparkplug looked at a teary eyed Serena. "I don't feel proud about lying to you, Serena, even if it was to save my friends. I don't expect you to forgive me, but please, understand."

"Sparkplug…" Serena muttered, tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't seem mad. Just…disappointed.

"Sparkplug had to do what he needed to, so save his friends. Our friends." Annie growled. "This wouldn't have happened if your Skywatch butt buddy didn't try to enslave the Minicons. What you're doing is wrong in so many ways."

"Those robots you're advocating for are a menace! How many people died in Edo from a single fight between Optimus and Megatron? How many more people will die from collateral damage alone? What the colonel did will keep everyone safe, including my daughter." Sanjay growled. "The fact that you kids are even defending them is atrocious. You don't know how much those robots take from you if you let them!"

Annie pulled off her glove, revealing her sleek black robot arm. "We know more than anybody else on this planet!"

"Enough. Bharwaney, we're calling up Agent Barnett and the Autobots to bring the colonel to justice, and you're going along with him for taking part in this mess." Darren said. "We have your new control board. A few switches and our friends are free."

Serena looked at her father in distress. "Dad…are you in trouble? Did you do something bad?"

Sanjay tried to make something up, but he knew he was caught. There was no one bailing him out now. "Yes, sweetie, I'm in trouble. And I did…something very wrong."

Sparkplug called Gina up. "Gina, contact Agent Barnett and tell him the situation. Liftor, if you can hear me-"

"Guys, we have incoming!" Gina yelled.

Sanjay and Serena cried out when the Athena appeared from its cloaked state, gliding down into the front yard. Sparkplug was about to ask what she was doing when he saw a dark indigo jet flying right towards them. He picked up Serena and ran over to Sanjay to grab his arm.

"What are you doing?" Sanjay growled. "Let us go!"

"That's a Decepticon, Bhawarney, and he's here to wipe out anything that's affiliated with Skywatch." Sparkplug said. "Like you."

"Gina, get us away from the town. That Con's not going to hesitate in leveling this entire neighborhood to get us!" Darren said.

Gina scooped up the Bhawarneys and her friends into her talos's arms before switching Athena to flight mode and flying away just as Sprawl descended from the clouds.

"Running already? Huh, I thought you humans were made of sterner stuff!" Sprawl remarked.

Sparkplug hung onto the Athena's shoulder while the humans were held in its arms. Gina flew them to the edge of town, far from any heavily populated areas to where a construction site was located. She landed on the ground and set her passengers down before turning to face the oncoming Sprawl.

"Sureshock, Grindor," High Wire said. "Powerlink with Gina. We'll give her talos a supercharge!"

The Street Action Team transformed into their vehicle modes and connected to the Athena's arms and leg. The power they channeled into the talos was enough to increase its power levels significantly when Sprawl changed into robot mode in midair and charged at Gina.

"Come and get it, big boy!" Gina drew her beam cannon and fired. The beam hit Sprawl in his shoulder, but he rolled to the side and lunged at her.

"Finally! A decent fight. How long will you last, human?" Sprawl laughed.

Gina grunted as his large body slammed into Athena, and she struggled to keep her talos upright. They grappled for a moment, trying to out-strength each other before Gina fired her talos's Vulcan cannons into his face, making him reel back. But Sprawl wasn't stunned for long, as he struck back with a powerful punch to her cockpit. Gina had the breath knocked from her as she was violently jostled in her seat from the sheer force of the punch. She had her unit duck under his next punch and fired her pulse cannons into his chest. The blasts were strong enough to push him back, but even this didn't hurt him enough.

"Go down already!" Gina growled. She gasped when a large hand grabbed Athena's arm and began to squeeze.

"Go down! I've been down for thousands of stellar cycles." Sprawl said, headbutting Athena hard in the face. "I'd like to stay standing, thank you."

A mile away, Sparkplug was leading the twins, Sanjay and Serena away from the battle going on behind them.

"Who was that? I've never seen that guy on Megatron's roster." Annie said.

"Must be another newbie. We're getting a lot of those these days." Darren said, not taking his eyes off the explosions and dust clouds in the distance, clearly worried about his girlfriend. "It's clear that he has no trouble fighting a talos powered by three Minicons."

"Darren," Serena grabbed his shirt. "Is your friend going to be alright?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine, Serena." Darren smiled. "Right now all we have to do is get you and your father away from danger."

"And then what? That case can lead him straight to us." Sanjay said.

"I've already sent a distress signal to Optimus. The Autobots should be here any minute now." Sparkplug said. "Now we just have to hope Gina can hold out for a little-"

"Look out!" Annie yelled.

Snatching up Serena, she pushed Sanjay back down the hill while Darren and Sparkplug jumped aside to avoid the Athena as it crashed into the ground. Darren fell onto his back, covering his eyes from the dirt flying into his face. Looking up, he saw that the talos was heavily damaged and missing an arm.

"Gina!" Darren shouted.

"Relax, boy, she's alive," Sprawl slowly flew down, landing before the talos before pointing his cannons at it. "But only as long as you'll cooperate. Give me the case."

"Not a chance!" A rocket slammed into Sprawl's face, making him stumble back.

Darren Sparkplug saw a team of four black talos running at them, unloading their weapons into Sprawl. They were Skywatch's Gernsback talos.

"You two, get you friend and go!" Klonowski's voice came from the lead unit. "We've got him!"

""You got me?" Sprawl glared at Klonowski's talos and backhanded the machine in the face. The blow was strong enough to trip the mecha's head right off its shoulders. "Know your place!"

Darren and Sparkplug watched as the other talos opened fire on the Seeker in a futile attempt t stop him. Unfortunately, they wouldn't last long against a powerful warrior like Sprawl.

"He'llll tear them apart." Darren said.

"Darren, get Gina and the others." Sparkplug said. "I'll use the case to take him out."

"What?" Darren blinked. "But how-"

"I finished altering the control board using Liftor's instructions when Gina fell on us. You need to get the others far enough away before I activate it."

"But Sparkplug-"

"Just go!"

Darren frowned, but clapped his shoulder and ran to get his friends. Sparkplug didn't waste time in running toward Sprawl, who was demolishing the talos. The Con was preparing to run one of the talos through with his blade when Sparkplug called out to him.

"Hey!" He yelled. Sprawl glanced down at him, dropping the talos and stomping towards Sparkplug. "You want this? Come and get it!"

"Brave, little mech, but I'm not stupid. I've seen your encoded messages. You've done something to the device. I know how to fix it." Sprawl said, holding out his hand. "Now give it to me."

Sparkplug opened the case. Sprawl paused, trying to call his bluff.

"Oh, you're going to activate it? You think you can burn me out?" He growled. "Don't be stupid. You're no more protected than I am! It'll destroy you too!"

"I know that. But the thing is," Sparkplug went for the button. "My friends will repair me."

"NO!"

Sprawl lunged at him just as he pressed the button. There was a bright flash, before his entire body rippled with pain, and everything went white.

XXXXXX

The scandal that was brought into light fell upon the heads of Colonel Horiuchi and his associates. President Flagg and Agent Barnett, not to mention Optimus Prime himself, laid out his charges-blackmail and unlawful imprisonment and enslavement of an allied alien confidant and almost starting an interspecies conflict.

It was hell explaining everything to the Autobots, but Roll Bar and Liftor took point, going into detail about the incident Sparkplug nearly died trying to fix. The badges were all disable and destroyed, of course, though no one heard word of Night Hunter and the Land Military team since they left. So far, everything was returning back to normal.

"That was a pretty ballsy move, Sparkplug. Wouldn't have done anyone good if you went out like that." Klonowski said. He and the still recovering Sparkplug stood in front of Omega One, where the human was getting into his jeep.

"Well considering the alternative, I was fine with the outcome." Sparkplug said, leaning on his cane. "So how are you doing after all this, Klonowski? This put a lot of heat on Skywatch."

"Yeah, well…somebody's got to take the fall, right?" He shrugged. "Didn't make it too badly like the colonel. I took the heat off some people with a lot to lose. So they put a lot of money toward my retirement fund. I think it's safe to say you've seen the last of Colonel Horiuchi."

"Thank Primus." Sparkplug smiled. Klonowski smiled back and started his jeep.

"Well, I better get going. Doubt your friends are as sad to see me go as you are." He said. "Oh, and word of advice, watch out for the top dogs in Skywatch. They get dangerous when they're cornered, and not everything is afraid of pissing off the president if it means sticking it to you aliens."

"I'll remember that, Klonowski." Sparkplug nodded. "Thank you, and take care."

Klonowski gave him a salute and drove off down the dirt path and disappeared into the forest. Sparkplug watched him go and heard Roll Bar walk up next to him.

"So, who hates me the most among the ranks so I can watch out for mutiny?" Sparkplug asked.

"After almost losing you on the operating table, most of us have figured you paid your due, myself included. Night Hunter's group stayed behind just long enough to make sure you were given the all clear before leaving." Roll Bar shrugged. "I doubt the LM Team's going to be talking to you any time soon."

"At least everyone's alive." Sparkplug sighed. Roll Bar nodded.

"Yes, we're alive and free. Thanks to you." He assured the Micron leader. "You made a mistake and you almost died fixing it. That's the mark of not just a leader, but also a good and honest mech."

Sparkplug smiled at his friend. "Thanks."

"Anytime, Sparkplug. Now come back in before Longarm has Spiral carry you back in again."

"Ugh," Sparkplug shivered. He didn't want to be carried by that brute of a femme ever again. "Better heed the doc's orders."

"Wise words." Roll Bar laughed.

Everything was somewhat back to normal for the Minicons, but Sparkplug knew he'd have to make more difficult decisions in the future, and not all of them would be agreed upon by his people. All he could do now was learn from his mistakes and move on.

* * *

**My fingers and neck hurt from writing the second half of this chapter. I had no idea it'd be this long, and I certainly didn't plan on typing down so much, but ****I saw that I was almost finished and just went YOLO on the whole thing. Up next, we return to Atlantis as the Decepticons start some slag up and spark an ****international incident that almost meshes with that of a despondent Skywatch's plans. Be sure to check out the Transformers Titan website on Wordpress, ****and check out my original fantasy story, Fantasia: Red Dawn on Fictionpress under Saya3x3. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	10. A Storm of Swords part 1

Chapter 10-A Storm of Swords part 1

"_And in other news, Autobot engineer Wheeljack is heading the design team for the new underwater research center for humans and merfolk in the Pacific Ocean. According to Queen Tyr of Atlantis, the center will act as a joint operation between both races to better understand each other in light of the events that transpired a month ago. The facility runs on power generated from surface aligned solar panels…"_

'Not even a month into their siege and they're already building castles.' Admiral Maylander thought as he watched the news broadcast.

Whenever he had time off, when he wasn't making sure that everything was at optimal condition on his ship, he would hole up in his office and read up on any updates about the Autobots and Atlantians. It would not only keep him on top of what Terra's nonhuman residents were up to, but also remind him of how much the world he lived in was changing.

James Maylander was no stranger to change. He was a naval commander taught to expect different variables out on the water and in battle. Nothing was certain or completely static in the heat of battle. The only global problem he was more concerned about aside from patrolling Osea's waters were the growing esper population and the threat of Karaba. Out here in the ocean, you never knew if there was some esper with water-based powers that might decide to pop up and slaughter everyone on board, be they Karaba terrorists or simple pirates with espers in their employ.

Then came the aliens.

The Autobots and Decepticons had presumably been warring on Terra for over a year undetected before that mess in Texas. Maylander had trained himself to expect different variables and outcomes in battle. He knew the limitations of his human enemies and the variations of weaknesses in espers, which, despite harboring miraculous powers, were often bound by physical and natural laws. But these aliens-there was little he understood about them. There was literally nothing they couldn't do thanks to their transformative physiology, and their very existence went against everything humans knew about biology. He had no idea what they could do about them, and that scared him.

As if that wasn't enough, there was the existence of the merfolk to consider. Maylander knew he had to do something. Humans had been sharing the planet with a race more biologically and technologically advanced then them and no one had a clue they existed. Possible enemies hidden right under the sea, his sea, and he was completely unaware of them until now.

A crisis was averted when Optimus Prime and Queen Tyr managed to stop a coup that would've started another interspecies war on Terra. Though war had been averted, it revealed another problem that Maylander had to assess-both the cybertronians and the Atlantians had the means to bring humanity to its knees. Their aquatic neighbors controlled the oceans and could command the water to do their very bidding. Not ideal for a navy commander like himself. He needed an edge on these beings before they attacked again. And the Autobots were half way on the other side of the world.

Someone knocked on the door and he bade them entry. "Come in."

A handsome man with short, tidy blonde hair clad in a crisp, clean, but surprisingly durable black suit walked in with a sigh. "Sorry I'm late, Admiral. Some stuff went down on my end that needed taking care of first."

"Trouble back at home base?" Maylander asked. The agent gave him a humorless smile as he sat down at his desk.

"You can say that."

Agent Chris Calloway, formerly Navy before Skywatch scouted him out for recruitment following an investigation into the disappearance of an entire population aboard a yacht. An incident that possibly related to the Atlantians. He was assigned to him by field agent Jackson to aid him in improving defenses against the newly discovered Atlantians, discreetly of course, and possibly even snatch up a few live specimens to better understand their physiology.

"So I take it you heard about the new research station?" Calloway inquired.

"Yes, built with human and merfolk hands with some Autobot help. Supposed to be an underwater embassy if things go well." Maylander took a sip of some ice cold water. No alcoholic drinks, even on downtime. "It took over two weeks to build since announcing it."

"Well, you can't say they're lazy at least." Calloway took out a small device and placed it on the desk, pressing a button and creating a large holographic map between them. "This is a map of what few Atlantian settlements we were able to locate with our undersea drones. A good portion of them are centered in the Pacific Ocean, and most of them are moderately sized communities."

"Impressive. You were able to do all this by yourselves in such a short time frame?"

"Skywatch doesn't like leaving loose ends. While my associates Jackson and Fredericks bungle their little pissing contest with the Autobots, I've been amassing a counter offensive against our new neighbors in case they get…violent again." Calloway said.

"A counter-offensive. I can get behind that-a pre-emptive strike even more so. But their cities are located at such depths that only submarines can reach without crunching from the pressure. Not to mention we are in their element." Maylander stared hard at Calloway over the holo-map. "I want to know what these creatures can do before they even know we're onto them."

"My division has all the resources you'll need to reach them for any planned future operations. Thanks to what tech specs we were able to glean from our cybertronian…specimens, on top of acquiring some wreckage from Atlantian warships in the North Pole, we now have some new toys waiting to be tried in the field." Calloway smiled. He eyed Maylander cautiously. "But Admiral, I must remind you that our operations are largely secret from the rest of the Navy, as well as the government. Unsanctioned. Are you not the least big concerned about going behind the President's back to do this?"

Admiral Maylander didn't take his eyes off the map of the underwater kingdom. "President Flagg was a special forces commander back in his day. He'll understand if I deem these matters out of his…jurisdiction." He said. "You need to understand, I don't do this because I like to. I do it because I believe in the red, white, and blue. I do it because my father gave his life to protect our country from outside forces that even today threaten to tear it apart. You've seen what happens when this country rests on its laurels…I'm seeing to it that we never do again.

XXXXXX

Megatron stood in the commander center of his base on Decepticon Island watching the human news broadcast about the human/Atlantian research center. That, and the merfolk themselves were almost as talked about as the Autobots these days. For once, Megatron was glad. He was getting sick about hearing all these absurd notions about the Autobots, most of all who was dating who. If the thought of mnemosurgy didn't terrify him so, he'd have that particular memory purged from his memory banks in a Spark pulse.

He knew about the war that almost started between Atlantis and the human nations, but chose not to intervene. It was clear that these people were far more advanced than the humans, and harder to reach too. He wasn't going to combat these creatures without learning about their capabilities.

'The Autobots are gaining more allies by the day, while we're stagnating in the corner like an empty, rusting corpse.' Megatron thought. 'The Atlantians trust the Autobots but are still wary of the humans. I can use that to my advantage in some way, but how?'

"Megatron," Nightshade appeared in the doorway with Knockout. "We got back the data from the drones we sent into Atlantis."

"Show me." He commanded.

Knockout quickly made his way over to the computer and downloaded the data into the console. A few seconds later, they were looking a map of the perimeter of Atlantis' capital city, Mu. It was showing a topography scan, so there were multiple temperature readings of the city and the land around it. What Nightshade noticed was that directly under the city was a massive heat signature that shouldn't be possible for something that deep underwater.

"What's the temperature reading under the city? Is that some volcanic hotspot?" Nightshade questioned. Knockout shook his head.

"No, that is an artificial structure generating large amounts of energy. All 500 meters of it." He said. Megatron and Nightshade looked at him in surprise.

"500 meters? How can they be sitting on something man-made that's so large?" Nightshade asked. The heat signature was massive, and it was disc-shaped. When you took a step back, it almost looked like…a ship!

"The city must be sitting on something buried under the sand. You'd never tell it was some massive…vessel unless you had wide scale detailed thermo-scans." Knockout said. "I can imagine their capital has an abundance in high tech defense systems in place that we don't even see."

"So attacking the city directly is out of the question, for now." Megatron said. "What about the other settlements on the ocean floor?"

Knockout brought up another topographic map of the rest of the kingdom's territory, highlighting the major cities. "This is all we have on the places we were able to find. Many settlements dot the ocean floor, some in isolated areas accessible only by a single tunnel or pathway."

"And often defended by a mechanical monstrosity." Nightshade noted. "They have gigas, Megatron, and use technology that apparently hasn't been seen since-"

"The Arians." Megatron nodded. "Yes, but it also means they have more efficient means of generating large amounts of energy to power such machines and weapons."

"Energy that could be ours." Knockout grinned. Megatron smirked.

"I think I know how to acquire such energy, but it will require a lot of planning and cooperation on your part with the Seekers." He said to Nightshade. "Open combat with our enemies is our last resort, but we will have the edge if we take advantage of their fragile bonds."

"I understand, Megatron." Nightshade said. "And Soundwave wanted me to tell you about the data we got from that Skywatch base."

"Oh yes, that." Megatron frowned at the thought of Skywatch. "What did he find?"

"He's still sifting through the data, but it appears that what he found pertains to the merfolk. It seems Skywatch is also investigating the Atlantians as well, and from what I've seen, the information they've gathered is the kind that they definitely do not want leaked to the public."

"Good." Megatron grinned. "More fuel to the fire."

XXXXXX

Penny really envied the luck Gina had sometimes. There was just something about her blonde rival that attracted every kind of once in a blue moon opportunity in the world. Discovering an alien race, getting a boyfriend before her, gaining superhuman powers, and becoming friends with Atlantian royalty; maybe somewhere down the line Penny should just add "discovering immortality" to be ahead of the game.

Thankfully, Gina wasn't a glory hound. She convinced Princess Astrea to give her and Razor a tour of one of the outer Atlantian cities, Saba, during a holiday weekend. A little nerdy girl's day out for the four of them while Darren and Kevin spent some time doing whatever it is boys did without girls around.

"My god, this place looks like something out of a sci-fi comic." Penny breathed as she pressed her face against the window of one of the main communal areas. Outside was the cold, dark reaches of the ocean, hundreds of miles from the surface, where sunlight barely touched the ocean floor. Before her eyes were large domed areas that were connected by walkways, with odd looking vehicles ferrying passengers from dome to dome.

"Penny, you're drooling." Gina smirked.

"I wasn't." Penny growled.

"You totally were."

"No I wasn't!"

"Girls, please." Sureshock sighed, shoulders hunched from the looks the people were giving them.

"Let them have their fun, love." Razor said, sitting on a fountain. "Let them be kids."

Astrea smiled at the two girls. Really, she never thought she'd be giving two human girls a tour through an Atlantian city after that mess with Killian and Gryphon, but it's funny how fate works sometimes.

Unlike their ill-fated exploration turned rescue mission to the Arctic Circle near Lemuria, Astrea's tour group would be strolling through the city of Muria, one of the colonies located near the outer reaches of Atlantian territory. The city sat both on and inside an undersea canyon and was one of Atlantis's most remote colonies. There was nothing special about it, but to Gina and Penny, this place was heaven.

The girls wore form-fitting dive suits which were provided to them by the Atlantian science division, to protect their bodies from the changing temperatures of the city and the deep sea pressures they might be exposed to. It wouldn't keep Penny from being crushed by the immense pressure at these depths, though Gina might have a fighting chance if push came to shove. Sara was the only one who didn't wear protection, not that she needed to. Her body was outfitted to handle extreme environments such as the deep sea.

"Thank you so much to allowing us here, princess." Penny said, looking over at Astrea. "Your kingdom is amazing."

"Thank you, Penny, and please, call me Astrea." Astrea said. "I'm happy to share Atlantian culture and history with anyone willing to listen, but please stay close to me. The local militia was ordered to be on guard and I don't want any misunderstandings."

"On guard?" Sureshock blinked. "For what?"

"For any unwanted intruders. Since our altercation with the Lemurians, we're stepped up security just in case they decide to retaliate in response to our ill-fated trip." Astrea said.

"Lemurians?" Penny asked.

"They're a separate nation of merfolk that broke off from Atlantis centuries ago. They've been fighting against Atlantis for decades now, and we ran into them while visiting one of the abandoned Atlantian cities." Gina explained, rubbing the back of her head. "Long story short, their queen wanted Astrea dead in revenge for Queen Tyr killing her son, Astrea broke out, and I rescued her with Jazz and Bumblebee."

"And we all got tongue lashings from mother when we got back to Mu." Astrea smiled dryly. "Come, let me show you the rest of the city."

Atlantian architecture was like a fusion of natural formations and artificial constructs. The primary method of travel was either through walkways going between the massive domes, or by swimming. What vehicles were used were piloted by the military patrolling the city's borders. Security, though increased, was a bit lax considering that nothing large (human-made) could make it down to those depths without being detected, on top of the water pressure being too immense for ordinary humans.

Astrea told Gina and Penny about what she was allowed to tell them about Atlantian technology, with the Minicons listening in as they followed close behind. Much of the merfolk's technology was a strange combination of ancient and advanced; body armor that was flexible but stronger than Kevlar, energy weapons with miniature power sources, gigas automatons remote controlled by the user's thought patterns, high speed amphibious aircraft, and buildings that could withstand tidal waves and underwater earthquakes.

"Much of our technology was passed down to us from our ancestors, who survived the great cataclysm." Astrea said, waving to a couple of children that were watching the Minicons happily. "The people of the sea have lived like this for generations. There was a time when we once had cities on the surface world, but that time is little more than a distant memory now."

"Maybe Atlantis can branch out onto the surface. There are plenty of uninhabited islands for you to use." Sureshock said.

"That's a nice thought, but I doubt it'll be possible in my lifetime, Sureshock." Astrea said. "And besides, we merfolk do better inside water."

As they passed a group of patrolling guards, Astrea spotting Kiani walking towards them. The woman was wearing coral armor that hugged her slender body, looking every bit the dangerous beauty she was, and her icy blue eyes glared at the four guests behind Astrea.

"Kiani," Astrea said. "Shouldn't you be on patrol?"

"I was, until I heard you were giving two humans and midget Autobots a tour of the city."

"They're honored guests who mean us no harm, Kiani. Don't treat them like criminals." Astrea said tensely.

"I'm just doing my job, which is keeping you safe. After last time, I thought you'd be smart enough not to hang around these hairless apes again." Kiani spat. Penny gave her the finger.

"You overstep yourself commander." Astrea growled. Kiani tensed up and saluted the princess.

"My apologies, princess. I'm just looking out for your well-being." The bodyguard said.

"Well, do it without starting something with people you've just met. We're trying to improve relations with humanity, not give them a reason to blast us out of the water." The princess said.

Kiani couldn't keep the glare from her face, and it looked like she wanted to argue, but then a handsome young merfolk man came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Kiani scowled before taking a deep breath.

"I must get back to my patrol, princess." Kiani said and bowed her head. Astrea nodded and watched her bodyguard go with a cool expression.

"That was nuts." Razor said.

"Kiani has a low opinion of mankind. She knows a lot about the things humans have done to their own kind, and to espers, and she thinks they only invite trouble. Gina's involvement with the Lemurian incident last time hasn't helped changed her view either." Astrea smiled apologetically.

"She's not one to talk considering her father tried to start a war." Penny grumbled.

"Don't say that in front of her or she might actually skewer you." She replied. She took the girls' hands. "Let's go see the theater. There's a show starting in a few minutes that I'm sure you'll love!"

"Sure…that'll be great." Gina smiled, trying to put Kiani's hateful ice cold gaze behind her.

XXXXXX

"Well, well, well…this looks interesting." Knockout muttered as he looked at the monitor.

"What is it, Knockout?" Megatron asked.

"There are a number of human installations along the same outline of Atlantian cities that we've mapped out." Knockout looked at Megatron. "Coincidence?"

"I think not." Megatron said. "What country do they belong to?"

"Osea, but something tells me that they're not official." Knockout remarked. "Info says that they're military installations protecting passing ships from esper pirates and Karaba raids."

"And yet no sign of any naval patrols." Megatron tapped his chin. Knockout could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

"What is your plan, my lord?" He asked.

"Something that might benefit us further down the line." The Decepticon warlord said. "Call up Soundwave and have him bring a couple of holomatter generators. We're going to shatter this façade of an alliance between the land and sea and reap the rewards from their bloodshed!"

XXXXXX

Darkshadow was deployed to the chain of secret Osean bases with the Seekers on Nightshade's orders. To her, this operation was going to be relatively simple. A group of secret black ops bases sitting right on top of Atlantian territory without any clear sign of authorization from the Osean government? The humans were just asking to start a shitstorm.

Darkshadow thought it laughable at how easy the humans made it for the Cons to take advantage of their fear and paranoia. There were always cracks within a government or military system that can be exploited by their enemies. When allies keep secrets from each other, even within the same country, there was always a chance that the enemy could take advantage of that lack of trust and secrecy to spread the flames. The natural prejudices of humanity was just ripe with all kinds of material for an attack, and that's what Darkshadow intended to do.

Her team targeted the largest of the bases on an island. Hidden from radar, Darkshadow hid on a remote part of the island and created a holomatter avatar of a beautiful teenage merfolk girl.

She walked towards the base, pretending to look for seashells on the beach, acting like she didn't know this island was already taken. When she got close enough to the base, she was approached by one of the guards on patrol.

"Hey! Stop where you are!" One of them yelled, pointing an assault rifle in her direction. "How'd you get here? This is a classified Osean facility!"

"I'm sorry, I was just looking for seashells. I didn't know humans were working on this island." Darkshadow said sweetly, laying on the sugar.

"It's one of those fish heads." The other soldier whispered to his partner. "Should we call for backup?"

"We can handle one girl, Jones." The first soldier looked at the fake merfolk girl. "You're trespassing on Osean military property. We're going to have to bring you into our custody."

Darkshadow knew this was a lie. The Osean military most likely didn't even know this base existed. Chances were they were either going to imprison her indefinitely or send her off to another facility to study and dissect her or something. Too bad she wasn't a merfolk.

"Oh, do I have to? I have to be home soon." Darkshadow whined.

The second soldier unclipped the safety on his rifle and took aim. "We have orders to shoot any intruders, girl. Come with us, now!"

"Okay fine." She sighed. "Can I bring my friends too?"

"Friends?" The soldiers blinked.

Out of the water, three Tigershark fighters burst from the ocean, large and menacing. The soldiers scrambled back as the Seekers-disguised as the fighters-took aim with their weapons. They were powerless as blue beams of light vaporized them completely.

Darkshadow smirked and dispelled her holomatter, her real body trudging out of the forest. She looked up at her team and snapped her fingers. "Let's make some noise."

XXXXXX

"They did what?!" Chris Calloway roared into his phone. He was on his way to Admiral Maylander's quarters for a progress report when he got some really bad news from one of the Skywatch outposts. It made him nearly bust down the door in rage to get to Maylander, who was going over some documents.

"For someone involved with black ops, you make a lot of noise." Maylander said. "I can hear you halfway across the ship, Calloway, what's going on?"

"Sir, we have a problem." Calloway said. He told the admiral the bad news and Maylander's eyes narrowed.

"Four outposts destroyed? In one night?"

"We don't know how, but according to the survivors, these merfolk attacked without warning and without mercy. They made sure to cut communications in the entire area before…slaughtering everyone on site." Calloway frowned. "They didn't even bother to leave their ships before leveling the bases and everyone inside."

"So they know about our little operation. Didn't think they'd be this aggressive in their attack, but what can you expect from a violent and dangerous race such as theirs?" Maylander scowled.

"So it's time." Calloway said. Maylander nodded.

"Yes. Have the Achilles and the Ajax head for the nearest city. It's time t show these creatures that humanity will not stand for anymore aggression from them."

There was a time Maylander had thought that he would only be in this position against other humans or even espers. The world was one of domination and violence, it's always been like this since time immoral. Humanity had a habit of pushing around every other life form on the planet just to build a place for their hat or club or sword or whatever. Wars were fought for control over territory and a show of sovereign power to display their might.

Maylander had learned someone from seeing Karaba wage war on mankind. Throughout history, war has always been about one thing. It wasn't about property or ideology or religion. Conflicts like the Belkan War and the Yuktobania/Estovakian War were never about right and wrong. It was about survival. And it still is.

Invaders from the stars come down from above to wage war for control over the planet, while the inhabitants of the sea vie for dominance over the world's oceans, each with superior levels of technology. Both were threats to humanity. Maylander didn't understand them, but that wasn't his job. His job was to eliminate any threats to his country, to his species.

He couldn't do a thing about the aliens, yet, but he could do something about the danger sitting in his backyard. The time for humanity's war with the sea has come.

XXXXXX

Gina stood by the windows inside one of Saba's communal domes. As the merfolk thankfully had their buildings pressurized and filled with air, she and Penny were able to walk around without too much protection. It was odd to have the merfolk staring at her in awe, but she didn't mind. She was as much an alien to them as they were to her.

"Gina." Sara walked up to her, her emerald green hair reflecting the light of the domes beautifully. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, Sara. Just trying to process…this." Gina motioned to the city around them. "I never dreamed that I would ever had the chance to explore something as beautiful as this. It's a miracle, Sara."

"In my experience, miracles aren't random occurrences. They must be created by someone first." Sara said.

"Who said that?" Gina asked. "Your mother?"

"Yes."

"Them she must be a wise woman." Gina smiled.

"She is." Sara's vibrant green eyes brightened at the memories of her mother.

"I'm sorry, Sara. You must really miss her, huh?" Gina said. Sara nodded.

"I do. I will always miss her. Now and forever." Sara said. Then she gave a small smile and took Gina's hand. "But I know she's not gone…because I have you."

Gina's eyes watered a bit and she wiped her tears away. Giving Sara a hug, she said, "You've come a long way, Sara. You really have."

In another part of the area, inside the meeting hall, Astrea, Penny and Razor still talked about various things while they relaxed in a special balcony overlooking the city.

"How are you able to make all these vehicles and weapons?" Penny asked. "I know you guys don't have any factories that work underwater. Even Atlantians aren't that advanced."

"No, we aren't. We have disguised factories and forges on the surface that make our weapons, gigas and vehicles, and no, I'm not telling you where they are." Astrea grinned. "As I've already mentioned, we're just using techniques and methods passed down from our ancestors."

"Survivors of the cataclysm that brought about the Void Century." Penny muttered. "I take it the Atlantians weren't unaffected?"

"No, but information on that time period is scarce even for us. The most we know about the cataclysm was that it was caused by so-called gods coming down from the sky and battling for control. Their battles had caused great devastation to the world, and human civilization was greatly decimated. As humanity picked up the pieces, we retreated to the sea to escape the natural disasters that plagued the world."

"It must have been terrible." Razor said.

"It was. It wasn't until the Circum-Usea war that we started sending agents to learn more about humanity again. We modernized ourselves, advancing our technology and society for the inevitable meeting of our races. Submarines grew closer to our territory every day and it was only a matter of time."

"Until the Autobots and Decepticons showed up and kickstarted the part."

"Exactly. Garen was our main source of information, though tapping into human television stations helped too." Astrea grinned. "Free cable for everyone."

"Nice." Razor said impressed.

'Gods from the sky…' Penny thought. Something about that didn't sit right with her. It reminded her of another danger that was currently threatening Terra.

"Something wrong, Penny?" Astrea asked.

"Um, Astrea, do you remember the Edo incident a month ago?" She asked.

"Who can forget? It was all over the news, and my mother was rather worried about the appearance of that giant ball-thing hovering over Anea." Astrea said.

"The monster that took all those people along with Megatron and the Autobots, it's one of many creatures that the cybertronians had been fighting in secret since last year." Penny explained. "They're called the dolems, and they've been on Terra for centuries, originally worshipped as gods by humans. I was wondering…if the gods that your people spoke of were actually the dolems from ancient times. What do you think?"

Astrea thought about it. She thought those monsters looked familiar but she couldn't place her finger on the similarities. They certainly bore a strong resemblance to the monsters depicted on the murals of ancient Atlantian structures, that's for sure. "You know, I think you might be onto something…"

Astrea didn't finish her sentence when she notice something strange outside. Lights were fluttering down above the city, and very soon everyone began noticing them. It didn't take long for the mysterious lightshow to begin making the populace nervous, for they didn't know what it was or where it was coming from. They were right to be afraid.

Because as soon as the lights-the depth charges-hit the buildings, Saba was illuminated by a host of huge explosions that blossomed across the city. The ground trembled and the water itself vibrated from the force of the explosions as debris and smoke filled the area. The initial strike alone was enough to kill hundreds without fail.

So began the first strike in the war between the land and sea.

XXXXXX

Thalasaar was one of the lucky ones. As the assault began, he only escaped being buried alive in the palace because he sought to swim instead of using one of the walkways leading from the building. Using his hydrokinetic powers, Thalasaar was able to weave through the fallen debris that destroyed the buildings around him.

'This is madness!' Thalasaar thought as people swam around him in panic trying to escape the collapsing buildings and exploding charges. Gritting his teeth, he swam towards the watchtower and shot into the air lock, where he emerged inside the launch bay for the security team's vehicles.

"Thalasaar!" A female guard exclaimed. "We've been trying to contact you at the palace since the attack began."

"The palace is gone, as is most of the western pavilion. Have defense measures been activated?" He asked.

"The two remaining towers are doing their best to destroy the depth charges before they reach the city, but there are too many of them." Another guard reported.

Thalasaar could feel his heart sinking. "What about our ships?"

"Gone. The hangars were the first things they hit." Came the reply. Thalasaar closed his eyes.

"In other words, we are defenseless."

"With the damage to our communications systems and the interference from all the debris, our surveillance cameras cannot even confirm who is attacking us."

"It's the humans." Thalasaar said without hesitation, drawing surprised looks from the guards.

"The humans? Why would they attack us?" The male guard asked.

"I'll worry about the why later. For now, we have to dig in and wait it out. We haven't the means to go up against their behemoths." Thalasaar gave the only order he could give in this situation. "Inform the garrison at Mu of our situation. We need their help."

"And if they don't come?"

Thalasaar looked up at the monitors, which displayed the destruction of his city "Then Saba will be destroyed."

XXXXXX

Princess Astrea was hanging out with her guests when she got the emergency call.

"_Princess, we have an emergency. We require your presence at the command center at once." _

Astrea's expression darkened and she stood up. "I'm sorry, girls, but I have to go. Something might be wrong."

"There goes the happy feelings." Penny muttered as she watched Astrea swim away. Gina shared a troubled look with Sureshock and Sara.

At the command center at Muria's militia headquarters, Astrea was escorted to the situation room where they were getting an emergency call.

"_This is Mator of Saba. The humans have attacked the city. Our defenses have been destroyed and we don't know how much longer we can hold out. Please, we need help!"_

Astrea and Kiani both had grim expressions as they heard of this. An unprovoked attack on an Atlantian city? That was tantamount to a declaration of war.

"When did this come in?" Astrea asked.

"Six minutes ago. But we haven't been able to get a message to them, princess." The soldier said.

"And you said the humans were our allies. Well here we are, with one of our cities being attacked out of nowhere." Kiani glared at Astrea and marched to the door. "Prepare for launch. I want all available pilots ready for takeoff in ten minutes."

"Commander, we can't." Officer Bran said. He shrunk back from the icy glare Kiani gave him.

"Excuse me?" She hissed.

"We don't have any ships fast enough to reach the outer territories in time. They're too far away." Bran explained.

"So you expect us to do nothing?" Kiani growled.

"N-No, sir. But that's just hot it is. With the queen topside, the council won't allow any military deployment."

"He's right, the council won't let you go." Astrea said.

"So we're just supposed to leave them to die?" Kiani yelled.

"Um, excuse me." Everyone turned to the door, where Gina was standing. As she entered the room, the guards went to stop her, but Astrea had them stand down. "Maybe I can help."

"Help? Saba is under unprovoked attack by humans! Your people! For all we know you could be here to stab us in the back, girl." Kiani snarled. "You certainly have the power to do so."

"Kiani, stand down, that is an order!" Astrea commanded and looked at Gina. "What do you have in mind, Gina?"

"If distance is your problem, then I can have the Autobots send a ground bridge to take you from here to Saba in seconds." Gina said.

"Is that possible?" Astrea asked, feeling hopeful.

"Yes, the city isn't too deep that the ground bridge won't reach it." Gina bit her lip as she added, "But…I want you to let me help in the counterattack as well."

"Absolutely not." Kiani said.

"It's too dangerous, Gina." Astrea said. "Especially for a human this deep underwater."

"No different from fighting Decepticons, and my body is strong enough to handle the water pressure." Gina replied. "You've seen my fight. You both know how strong I am."

It was hard for the two merfolk women to argue that. For some reason, Gina was different from other human children her age, and in all honesty, her power scared them. But they couldn't be picky right now with so many lives at stake.

"Fine, you can come." Astrea said and turned to Kiani. "Kiani, gather your battalion and prepare a Vimana for transport. Time is of the essence."

"Yes, princess." Kiani saluted and went to assemble her team. It was time to finally show the humans how powerful they really are."

XXXXXX

"Attacked?" Optimus exclaimed after hearing the news from Gina.

"_Yeah, Saba is under attack by human subs. The princess can't send a rescue team in time unless they have something faster-like a ground bridge." _Gina said. "_Can you help, Optimus?"_

"As unusual as this is, I'll send you a ground bridge, though the signal can't go very deep." Optimus said. "Send me your coordinates and that of Saba's. At those depths, I can't promise the bridge to be very accurate."

Gina gave him the coordinates and Optimus send the ground bridge. _"Thank you, Optimus. You've saved a lot of lives today!"_

Gina signed off and Optimus sighed. "I certainly hope so." He looked back to the doorway. "Did you get all that?"

"Yeah, things are heating up again." Ironhide walked up to Optimus. "Looks like the humans decided to take the law into their own hands."

"Maybe. This might explain the attacks on those military bases over in the Pacific. This might be a retaliatory attack." Optimus said.

"But you don't think bucket head might be behind this, do you? The Atlantians don't have any reason to start things up like this." Ironhide said.

"It's hard to tell, but right now we'll need to focus on the disaster happening right now." Optimus replied. "Teletran, contact Agent Barnett. We have to stop this before it gets out of control."

XXXXXX

Admiral Maylander didn't show it, but he was definitely pleased. The first phase of the attack was going well, and already a city was on the verge of total collapse. But that wasn't the whole plan.

"Admiral, the fighters have reached the perimeter of the city."

"Instruct the Achilles and the Ajax to cease all depth charge deployment and stand ready. Send in the second wave." Maylander ordered. It was time to test out the new toys Calloway had his people cook up. If this test run was successful, then not even the seas would be cut off from mankind.

"Sir, I'm getting readings of an energy signal outside the city. It's nothing like I've ever seen before." An officer reported.

Maylander frowned. "Send Bravo Squadron to check it out."

XXXXXX

The ground bridge portal sat at the edge of the garrison outpost, and the strike team was prepped and ready for the operation. Astrea had outfitted Gina with a sleek dive suit to protect the girl from the worst of the water pressure that deep in the ocean. The Vimana, an ancient Arian ship originally built for high speed flight, acted as their heavily armored transport carrier, holding the entirety of Kiani's strike team, all twenty members, each of them highly trained esper warriors. Penny remained behind with Razor and a worried Sureshock, as Sara was the only one who could withstand the immense pressure, at least for a time.

Kiani would never admit it, but she had to admire the genius in the girl's plan. Having the Autobots send a ground bridge that could lead right into the heart of Saba to allow the team time to move across half of Atlantis's territory in the span of just a few seconds. It was a smart plan, one that might save lives if they move fast enough. Though something about Gina…unsettled Kiani. There was a look in her eyes that shouldn't be on a child's face. The eyes of someone getting ready to kill.

"Kiani," Astrea walked up to Kiani, who sat in the co-pilot seat of the Vimana she and Gina were taking with the first wave of Atlantian troops. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready for the last seven minutes, princess. Let's go and save our people." Kiani said darkly. Her soldiers all nodded in agreement.

Astrea nodded. "Okay, you all know the mission. Engage any hostiles you encounter and eliminate the bombs dropping onto the city. We need to secure Saba before enemy reinforcements arrive."

"The Vimana is ready to go, princess." Brande, their pilot and recon scout, said.

"The move out!"

Gina held onto Sara's hand as she felt the vessel start up and her insides lurched a bit when the Vimana glided through the ocean. Launched from the port, it flew out of the base and right toward the portal. Everyone on board tensed up in anticipation of what they may find, and Gina continued to keep her calm by silently seeking support from Sara.

'Onward and upward.' Gina thought as she saw the glow of the ground bridge. 'Jumping right into danger without a second thought…jinkies, I'm pulling an Annie!'

The vessel entered the portal, and for a moment the interior of the Vimana craft was lit up by a bright green glow. It only lasted a few seconds before they returned to reality again, emerging on the other side. Astrea and Kiani looked out the window and were met with a sight of absolute chaos.

All that was left of the underwater city of Saba was a field of destroyed buildings and lingering explosions. Instead of bombs, oddly shaped yet streamlined sea craft that looked a lot like fighter jets flew through the city, shooting anything that remained standing. They were human-made vehicles, and they were laying waste to Saba.

"Oh my god." Gina gasped. Sara put a hand on her shoulder, but even she looked appalled at the senseless destruction.

Astrea dark indigo eyes were like a raging storm as she fastened her armor and grabbed her laser gauntlet. "All units, scatter and eliminate all enemy units. Main platoon, deploy. Engage the enemy with extreme prejudice."

The merfolk soldiers were deployed from the Hammerhead transports that accompanied the Vimana, swimming out into the water and scattering in different directions. Astrea and Kiani took point as the loading bay was filled with water, with Gina and Sara in the rear. Once the bay was full of water, the hatch opened up and the princess led the charge into the first battle of her life.

XXXXXX

"Well, Soundwave? What do you hear?"

Megatron's question wasn't answered as Soundwave stood on the beach of an uncharted island extending his senses into the ocean. Nightshade and Dreadwing stood farther back to give the spymaster some space.

"I hear…explosions. Guns firing. Shouting." Soundwave said. "It is a massive battle."

Megatron grinned. "Good. The plan is going smoothly."

"So far." Nightshade said. "But you haven't exactly been forthcoming with the next phase of the plan. What's our next target?"

"For now we'll sit back and watch the humans and merfolk tear each other apart. No doubt that Autobots will be caught in the middle just like last time, which is exactly what we want." Megatron said. "Originally I was going to try to attempt a raid on one of their major facilities, but recent developments have led me to change my plans. Apparently the humans have been stockpiling a lot of stolen goods that were acquired from desolate Atlantian cities far up north."

"Skywatch?" Said Dreadwing.

Megatron gave him a smirk and said nothing more. He was enjoying this too much to give the surprise away.

XXXXXX

The first clash between humans and merfolk was, as expected, chaotic. Lacking their own Tigershark fighters to combat the human-made Silver Fish fighters, the merfolk soldiers relied on their hydrokinetic esper powers to match these odd hybrid aircraft. The water bent to their commands, slicing apart fighters and destroying missiles before they could hit their mark. Some unfortunate merfolk were also shot down, taken out by machine gun fire or consumed by explosions caused by missiles.

Astrea moved through the water like a bullet, waving her arms and summoning tendrils of water to gather around her and rip apart any fighters within her sight. Kiani was no different, mercilessly killing any humans that caught her eye. Kiani made sure to stay close to the princess to watch her back while doing so.

When Kiani saw two fighters heading right for them, she got ready to take them out…only for them to be vaporized in a massive burst of energy that was almost as bright as the sun.

"What the…?" Kiani grunted and looked aside to see Gina swimming beside Astrea with Sara at her side, her eyes glowing like twin suns as she generated multiple distortion halo effects to create a chain of energy spheres along the canyon wall. Sara fired energy blasts at any passing enemy craft that got too close to them, but she mainly swam by Gina's side to protect her. "Of course it's the human."

Astrea looked around for any sign of civilians or at least some members of the local defense militia. That's when she heard a cry.

"Princess!"

"Thalasaar?" Astrea looked up and saw a man swimming towards her with a large shoulder cannon in hand.

"Come, princess, you need to take cover." Thalasaar urged her.

Astrea nodded and took Gina's hand. "Gina, you're with me. Brande, continue the fight and keep them scattered."

"Yes, princess." He nodded.

Thalasaar led Astrea and Gina to the shelter that was formed out of the surveillance base near the pavilion. Once inside, they saw at least a couple dozen civilians gathered together in the main hall; men, women and children who barely survived the first strike.

"Jinkies…" Gina gasped.

"Thalasaar, how…are you okay?" Astrea asked.

"How do you think, princess? My city is under siege and what you see here is all that remains of my citizens." He said.

"This is it?" Gina exclaimed.

"I have to assume if there are any others, they have already fled the scene…or they are dead."

Astrea's eyes watered as she looked at the devastation. "I'm…sorry we didn't get here sooner."

"Do not apologize, princess, for you being here gives us a chance." Thalasaar said and looked to his people. "Now that reinforcements have arrived, we must develop an attack plan. Going after one ship at a time is pointless. We will strike with precision at the very heart of our enemy's forces. They will pay for what they have done!"

"Thalasaar, wait," Astrea walked up to him. She had to stop him before he got more people killed. "I didn't come to save the city. I came to get everyone out of here."

"I'm not running, princess." He growled. "I will not let my city fall."

"You are focusing on the wrong thing. Buildings do not make a city, Thalasaar. It is the people. Look around you." She pointed to the disheartened and frightened people around them. "Save your people, and you will save your city."

Thalasaar grimaced and took a deep breath to calm himself. "I…princess, this is our home."

"And I'm sure mother will send a large force to fight back the humans. Until then, we must focus on evacuating the civilians."

"How?"

"The Autobots have lent us their aid. We used their ground bridge to reach Saba in no time at all, and we can take it back to Miura."

"Out there in the open…how far do you think we will get before they catch us?" He asked. "Our ships aren't fast enough to get us away."

"Leave it to me." Gina said. "I'll make sure that no one gets close enough for a killing shot."

XXXXXX

Back in Mu, the situation was also very dire. Queen Tyr had learned of the attack on Saba, and tried to contact her daughter in Miura, but to no avail.

"Where is my daughter?" Tyr roared as she marched into the council chambers."

"Your grace," Dyranna ran up to her. "Your daughter took a platoon of soldiers from Muria's militia and somehow got them to Saba. We just got word that they'll be making a return trip with refugees."

Tyr narrowed her eyes and gripped her trident tightly. She was in a meeting with the President of the Osean Republic when she had gotten the news. A surprise attack on one of her cities, and by humans of all people. The Oseans were lucky that she didn't immediately jumped to conclusions, or else she would've put Washington below sea level by now. Now she's learning that her daughter is in the middle of that mess risking her live in an unsanctioned rescue mission against an unknown enemy.

"Dyranna, call up Garen and have him talk to Agent Barnett about what's going on. I want answers now!" She commanded.

"Yes, your grace." Dyranna gulped, scurrying back into the meeting hall. The only thing scarier than an angry queen was an angry queen mother.

XXXXXX

It didn't take long for them to get the people into the Hammerheads in an orderly fashion. The transports could hold a max number of 30 people each, and Astrea came with only half that amount. Once everybody was sitting tight, she had the ships launch from the base and head for the extraction point at the ground bridge.

"Everyone, relax, please," Thalasaar told his people once they were settled in. "It's going to be a bumpy ride, but we're going to be okay."

"Um," A little boy looked up at him. "Do you really think we can make it?"

"We wouldn't be here if I thought we couldn't." He smiled.

Seconds later he said, "This is crazy. We won't survive long in these waters."

"The ground bridge isn't too far from our position, Thalasaar. We won't be exposed for long." Astrea said.

Kiani checked the radar and saw some enemy fighters on their tail. "Princess, I'm picking up something on the rear scanners. Three fighters approaching fast."

Astrea mentally cursed. "How long until they reach us?"

"Too soon."

"Kiani, maintain your course. I'll give you some breathing room, but it's going to be up to your to maneuver through the bridge." Gina said, already getting out of her seat. Sara made to follow, but she pushed her back down into her seat. "No, Sara, I'll move faster if it's just me."

"I'm coming with you." Astrea said. "You'll need support, superpowers or not."

"Wait," Thalasaar said to her. "I should go, princess. These people are my responsibility."

"Exactly. Which is why you're staying with them." Astrea replied. "As your future queen, it is my responsibility to make sure everyone here makes it out alive."

"Time's running out. Whoever is going better go." Kiani said.

Thalasaar looked stricken. "Princess, we will never forget all you have done for us."

"Good. Just as long as you remember." She smirked. "I need something to hold over your head."

Astrea and Gina ran over to the entry hatch with five soldiers and waited for the hatch to fill with water. Once they were ready to go, they were released back into open water. The Vimana and three Hammerheads went into the ruins of Saba's borders, leaving them behind to face their pursuers. The three human fighters that were in pursuit came into view and fired their missiles at the group.

"Counterattack!" Astrea shouted.

Gina created a ring of energy spheres that destroyed the missiles, while the merfolk warriors released sharp, cutting waves of water at that fighters. Two fighters were destroyed, cut in half by water blades that easily sliced through their armor, while the third fighter broke off and flew back the way it came.

"Soldiers, on me. We're returning to Muria." Astrea said, her body shaking.

"Astrea, are you alright?" Gina asked. Astrea took her hand.

"After this, Gina," She answered. "I'm not so sure anymore."

Astrea, Gina and the soldiers swam into the ground bridge, which felt even more disorienting when going through it underwater. They emerged out into the other side…and smack dab into a group of soldiers assembled before the bridge.

"Princess Astrea, I'm sorry for the cold welcome, but we all have our duties." Commander Kreeg said. "We're taking you into custody by order of the queen. Your mother wants to speak to you."

* * *

**Megatron decides to get his kicks of by starting fights to see the world burn. Up next, the conflict between humans and merfolk escalates while the Autobots ****and Decepticons clash in the background. Just like old times, am I right? Be sure to check out the Transformers Titan website on Wordpress. Also, checkout ****my Fictionpress story, Fantasia: Red Dawn, which is posted under Saya3x3. Oh, and go read my new Avatar story, The Lotus War: Metal, a new project I'm working on. Thanks for reading ****and please leave a review. Have a nice day. **


	11. A Storm of Swords part 2

Chapter 11-A Storm of Swords part 2

Astrea loved her mother. She was the light of her life, the epicenter of her world. Aside from her brother, Finn, Tyr had a strong impact on her view of the world, having been taught on how to be a woman and a queen, and the ways to have both lives lived separately, yet intertwined. Even with Finn gone and the pressures of being crown princess mounting her shoulders, Astrea didn't feel too burdened, knowing that her mother did her best to make the transition as smooth as possible.

But now…she was afraid of her mother.

Following her armed escort back to the palace, Astrea was taken to the throne room, where her mother awaited her angrily. The queen's fins were visibly shaking, a sign that she was really angry, and the trident in her hand crackled with energy in response to her emotions. Oh, she wasn't happy at all.

When the guards left to give mother and daughter some privacy, Tyr and Astrea was finally left alone. The princess didn't dare speak out of turn with her mother in this state.

"What were you thinking?" Tyr asked. "Rushing headlong into a hot zone without knowing the capabilities of the enemy? Along with three transports and a strike team as well?"

"Mother, Saba was under attack and crumbling fast. There was no time and we had to act." Astrea said.

"And what if it were the Decepticons? You would've run underprepared into a battle against an enemy who could've killed you in a heartbeat." Tyr said, standing from her throne and walking toward her daughter.

"Except it wasn't the Decepticons, it was humans. And the reason I did what I did was thanks to the Autobots allowing us a shortcut to and from Saba. You didn't see how desperate they were, mother. Thousands dead within the first few minutes of the attack alone." Astrea shook her head. "Something had to be done."

Tyr frowned, reaching forward to hug Astrea to her. "I could have lost you, Astrea. We should not take our enemies, human or Decepticon, lightly. I've already lost Finn to another man's machinations. If anything happened to you…"

"I know, I'm sorry, mother." Astrea said and hugged her mother back. "But what about the humans that attacked Saba? They're still there right now."

"I have Garen snooping around with Agent Barnett. He doesn't know the full story, but apparently the fighters were supposed to have been some top secret experimental aircraft for the land and sea. Whoever did this made those hybrid fighters for this specific reason-underwater warfare."

"But who sent them?"

"That's what we're trying to find out. Right now, everyone's just trying to handle the refugees from Saba." Tyr said, and then her gaze darkened. "But rest assured, when we find whoever did this, they'll wish they never heard of the name Atlantis!"

XXXXXX

Barnett gave a tired sigh as he slumped into his chair at a café in Times Square. His head hurt from the headache formed from this new incident that suddenly popped up and the political ramifications that sprouted from it.

'A human attack on an Atlantian city. This is unbelievable.' Barnett thought. 'Just when things were going good for once.'

"Are you alright, Agent Barnett?" A familiar voice asked.

Barnett's eyes snapped up to the tall, board shouldered man with a well-groomed mustache standing by his table, a bright red and blue truck behind him. It took him a minute to realize who it was.

"Who-Prime?"

"It's me, Agent Barnett." Optimus nodded, looking down at him, concerned. "Now, are you feeling alright? You look very tired and stressed."

"Couldn't be farther from the truth, Prime. And I'm sure you know what the cause of my stress is?"

Optimus took a seat across from him and studied the government liaison. "I know about the attack on Saba. Gina was there asking to help the refugees evacuate from the city."

"What was…you know what? Nevermind, I'm sure she had a good reason to be that far down underwater." Barnett sighed. "The Atlantians are out for blood and the President wants answers, now. Someone launched the first strike and now it's bringing us to the brink of war."

"Have you found any evidence of the attackers?" Optimus asked.

"I only have so much leeway, Prime. Dealing with the merfolk isn't really the ARA's jurisdiction, considering they aren't aliens. General Abernathy is keeping me informed so I can give you a head's up in case it's the Cons." Barnett said. He took a long sip of his coffee. "From what I understand, it might be in response to recent attacks on a group of island military bases in the Pacific Ocean."

"Attacks." Optimus hummed.

"Don't get any ideas, Prime. The president won't be very accepting of any unannounced Autobot involvement in a Terran political situation." He warned.

"Considering how this incident started, I'm starting to believe that we should look further into these attacks. The Atlantians have no idea of who attacked those bases and we have no idea who attacked Saba. There's a very high chance of Decepticon involvement in this." Optimus explained.

"Knowing you, you'll launch an investigation even if I told you no. look, I'll call up Ambassador Hawke and tell him of your intentions to help, but please don't aggravate the situation further. I already have General Talbot glancing my way."

"Understood, Agent Barnett." Optimus nodded. His avatar vanished and his real body drove away, leaving the human colonel to enjoy his free time in peace.

XXXXXX

Prowl stood in front of a map of the Pacific Ocean in the Ark's computer room looking at the points of attack that reportedly held military installations. After Optimus gave him an update, he was hard at work in trying to figure out what exactly sparked this attack in the first place.

"Yo, Prowler, we've got your guest."

Turning around, Prowl saw Optimus and Jazz entering the room with the Atlantian's liaison Garen. "Garen," Prowl greeted him. "Sorry for poaching you like this, but we need a more in-depth look into the puzzle."

"No apologies needed, Prowl, was it?" The Autobot nodded and Garen smiled. "Putting our heads together may help us solve this mystery faster. What do you need?"

"According to Agent Barnet, the attack on Saba wasn't as random as we thought it was, but it may have been in response to an attack on a group of military bases in the Pacific Ocean." Optimus said, lifting Garen onto the computer console to give him a better look. "We think that the humans who attacked Saba were too well-equipped for a sudden deep sea assault like this."

"You're right about that. Princess Astrea and her human friend, Gina Harkins reported that these humans rained down depth charges down on the city to ravage the infrastructure before launching their hybrid fighters to pick apart any signs of resistance or survivors."

"Hybrid fighters?" Jazz questioned.

"They looked like fighter jets by could move through the water as fast as they could move through air. These people were definitely planning for an operation like this and were very prepared." Garen crossed his arms. "But we don't know where they came from, and the Constable isn't authorizing any return trips to Saba. We're all in the dark."

'And we have no idea if this was some covert military operation or something else. Too many variables to consider.' Prowl thought. "Jazz, can you show me the locations of the bases that were attacked?"

"Sure, but since they're supposed to be top secret, we don't know where all of them are yet." Jazz said, bringing up a topographic chart.

Garen narrowed his eyes and mentally charted each island that had a base. He took note of the large number of aircraft carriers and battleships hovering nearby, putting that together with the Atlantian cities that were located beneath the waves in the same area. That was when he made the startling realization.

"My god." Garen whispered in horror, gaining the Autobots' attention.

"What's wrong?" Optimus asked.

"I recognize this territory. Here," He pointed to the spot where Saba is located. "This is Saba, and close to it is the city of Marielle." He dragged his finger over to a spot near an Osean naval base. There were a group of aircraft carriers passing over that area. "This is where Muria, our second largest city, is located."

Optimus also noticed what had Garen so horrified. "These naval deployments are posted near major Atlantian population centers."

"I'm guessing this isn't a coincidence." Jazz said, crossing his arms with a frown.

"This makes no sense. Relations have only been open between humanity and merfolk for…almost two months. How can anyone muster up a mobilization of this scale in such a short time?" Garen asked.

"And under the President's nose?" Optimus said.

"Decepticons?" Jazz suggested.

"I won't deny that the Decepticons may have had a hand in this. Megatron's been quiet these past few months and its making me worried. That still doesn't explain the Navy's deployment against the merfolk." Optimus said. "If the Atlantians didn't attack those bases, who did? The Lemurians?"

"I think I have an idea." Garen said with a grim expression.

XXXXXX

"Your majesty, I implore you to please hear me out. You don't know the carnage Saba became when they attacked the city. Hundreds died in the first twenty minutes alone, and they would've kept doing it if the princess hadn't chased them off with her forces." Thalasaar said, staring up at the queen and her small council of four constables.

It was an emergency council session to discuss their next course of action. A few high ranking military leaders were also in attendance, along with Astrea and Kiani themselves.

"I propose we strike back in force. Thanks to the Autobots we now have a means of an instant strike, and thus we shall show the humans the folly of spilling merfolk blood." The governor said to the people.

"As much as I want retribution for Saba, Thalasaar, I will not take military action until I know for sure what nation or organization was responsible. If we blindly attack the wrong enemy, we'll be inviting war upon ourselves while the real perpetrators get away." Tyr said.

"Garen is already getting information that will help prevent another attack on our cities." Constable Dyranna said. "We will be ready if they pull another assault on us."

"But it won't be enough! These humans won't stop until they wipe us out and steal our resources! They'll never admit to their own follies!" Thalasaar slammed a hand down on the podium. "We need to mount a counterattack or more of our kind will die!"

"He won't stop until he gets what he wants." Astrea whispered to Kiani.

"Can you blame him? Saba was completely destroyed and he literally couldn't do anything to stop it." Kiani said. "Honestly, it's obvious the whole thing was a black ops attack by the Osean Navy. It's only a matter of time before the other nations start dropping I to get a piece of us before the Decepticons decide to finish us off."

"You don't know that." Astrea said.

"Nor do you." Kiani replied. "You know how they treat espers on the surface. Why should they treat us, and entirely different species, any different? Just strip away their flags and the blame can be passed all around."

"You say that like we don't have people like that under the sea as well." Astrea replied. "People like your father. As if he didn't take part in a coup that killed my brother and almost killed my mother."

Kiani scowled but didn't say anything, knowing it was the truth.

"Until we get enough information to be certain of our next course of action," Tyr announced, catching their attention. "We will not take any action. I will, however, order all settlements in the outer territories, particularly in the tropical regions, remain on high alert and report any suspicious activity."

Thalasaar looked extremely disappointed but didn't press the matter further. "As you wish, your grace."

The meeting was adjourned, and everyone began to exist the chamber. Astrea made sure to avoid Kiani for the rest of the day, as the commander looked like a lion fish ready to attack.

XXXXXX

"His name is James Maylander, an admiral in the Osean Navy for almost 37 years with a known background in military history." Garen said as he showed the Autobots various photos of the man in the computer room. "He has an extensive career in the Navy and a reputation for being a shoot first, ask questions later kind of guy. What's more, I believe he's known, or at least been somewhat aware, of our civilization for decades now."

"Great, more secret government scrap." Jazz groaned.

"What does he have to do with all this?" Prowl asked.

"Prince Finn had me do some investigative work on Killian after taking notice of some odd decisions of his. Following his failed coup, I discovered evidence of him having private meetings with Maylander during the insurrection." Garen explained.

"Knowing how that incident turned out, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that Maylander was betrayed by Killian in some way." Optimus said.

"Igniting a grudge against the merfolk after they almost started a doomsday device that would've flooded the world." jazz said.

"What's more, many of his fleets pass through the outer regions of Atlantian territory, and I wouldn't put it past him to have placed those secret bases there to monitor any Atlantian activity." Prowl said, rubbing his chin.

"And put him within striking distance of any settlements for his fighter squadrons to attack." Jazz nodded. "Even experimental hybrid fighters. Yeah, it's all coming together."

"Yes, but it's not concrete evidence against him. Both leaders will want something more than loosely connected threads that can easily be disproven." Optimus said.

"Way to kill the mood, boss bot." jazz grumbled.

"No, he's right. Proof is needed to show Maylander is breaking the treaty, and even then we still have no idea who really attacked those bases."

"But it's still a lead." Prowl said. "You report your findings to the queen, Garen, we'll continue things on our end. We're close to averting another catastrophe and we can't let up now."

XXXXXX

A small mini-sub swam through the murky waters that once held the Atlantian city of Saba. Maylander, who wanted to take a look at the results of his victory, had to admit that this mission was more of a success than he could ever imagined. Looking around at the city, he could see that a preemptive strike was very effective at the moment, and the hybrid Tigershark fighters did a wonderful job in the field tests.

"Initial estimates put or casualties at less than ten percent, which is more than acceptable." The pilot reported as he cruised around the ruined city. "Satellite and sonar indicate zero activity within a fifty-mile perimeter."

"Excellent. Keep updating the system. I don't want anything getting close to us without ample warning." Maylander said.

"Yes, sir." The pilot said. His sonar screen detected a small moving target approaching them. "Sir, I've got movement on our 3'0 clock."

As the submarine passed by a pile of fallen rocks, a member of the Murian guard swam out of a grotto. Making sure none of the fighters spotted him, he swam out into the open and went to one of the more secluded areas of the city the larger sea craft couldn't enter.

"This is agent B'Rash calling from Saba. Can anyone read me?" He whispered into his radio. "Please, can anyone read me? I have crucial information that-"

"I've got a visual!"

B'Rash jumped as a spotlight was shined on him and spun around, taking out his sword to attack. To his surprise, it wasn't any of the fighters, but a human riding a motorized sea glider wearing pressurized body armor. Growling, B'Rash shot forward to attack, but one of the other soldiers fired something from his gun and hit him in the back. B'Rash was assaulted by a powerful shock that knocked him unconscious.

"Admiral, sir." Called in one of the soldiers.

"_Commander Jenkins." _Maylander replied. _"Something come up?"_

"Beta team just ran into a fish face in the northern sector of the city. He didn't put up much of a fight. The Stingray proved effective." Jenkins reported. "From what I could tell, it must have been one of the lower-level ones. Couldn't withstand the Stingray at full power and was terminated."

"_Very good, commander. Keep your men on standby." _Maylander ordered. _"I may need you sooner than later."_

The admiral returned his attention to the drone footage on the monitor before him, which was showing another merfolk city, this one larger than Saba.

Maylander was no fool; he knew this little operation could get him court-martialed, or worse, but what he was doing was in the name of preserving his country's safety and freedom. Some may call the merfolk a burgeoning species, but he only saw a growing army of beings worse than espers. After Killian's betrayal, and witnessing the might of the Atlantian army and their weaponry, it was crucial that this threat be eliminated before humanity finally drowned in its own blood.

XXXXXX

Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron studied footage gathered from Soundwave's hacking of Osea's weather satellites. With everything that was going on with the Atlantians, Megatron had not forgotten their other mission-the elimination of the filthy humans of Skywatch

"Is this accurate?" He asked Soundwave, who nodded.

"Yes, Megatron. There are no official records of an Osean or Canadian sanctioned base in Alaska. This facility is off the record and secret. It is most likely a Skywatch facility."

"Good work, Soundwave." Megatron turned to Dreadwing, who stood there waiting for orders. "Dreadwing, assemble a team and mobilize at once. You will locate and destroy that base. Leave no survivors. Leader-1 shall lead a ground team to raid the facility for anything they might have."

That caught Leader-1's attention. "Are you expecting to find something there, Lord Megatron?"

"If this base is one of those supposed merfolk research stations, then there's a chance the humans have some useful artifacts in their possession. Knowing those filthy scavengers, they'll have more than just living test subjects inside." Megatron said. "Go, Dreadwing. Seek out and destroy them like the animals they are!"

"As you command, my liege." Dreadwing said and left to carry out his mission.

XXXXXX

"A facsimile?"

"_Yes, you grace. Prime theorized that the merfolk who ordered the covert strike on the military bases may not have been a merfolk at all, but a Decepticon agent in disguise."_ Garen said.

"By Neptune," Astrea whispered. "They can do that?"

"_According to Agent Barnett, this is exactly how they operate. They sow discord between nations and let them bleed each other out before going in for the kill."_ Garen confirmed. _"All of this is probably the work of Megatron, and Maylander's involvement was just bad luck on our part. We've all been played."_

"Damn it. I'll turn that wretched despot into a trash can if I ever see him in person." Tyr growled. "Garen, go inform Agent Barnett about this. We need to avoid war at all costs and try to salvage this mess before-"

"Your grace!" Dyranna ran into the war room in a panic.

"Dyranna, what's wrong?"

"It's the humans! Kiani and her team just encountered three humans patrolling the seabed outside Muria!"

Tyr's grip tightened on her trident as Astrea shared a worried looked with Garen through the monitor.

XXXXXX

"Calloway, you're playing with fire, that's for sure." General Howzer said, taking a puff from his cigar. The four-star general and veteran of the Belkan War stood in the disguised observation deck of the Skywatch research and containment facility in Alaska.

"I know, but those fish heads started this fight. Attacking our bases like that was pure arrogance on their part." Calloway sighed and adjusted his glasses. "We have enough to deal with the cybertronians."

"Well, at least we can handle these guys." Howzer said, looking around at the Atlantian relics gathered from the abandoned city. His eyes focused on the golden broadsword with a crossguard engraved with Atlantian script. "Any luck with this toothpick?"

"No, this thing is a hassle just trying to move. One thing is certain, the merfolk's weapons are no joke." Calloway said. "Maybe Jackson might be able to have his people look at it-"

He was cut off when the base's alarms started going off. Calloway and Howser quickly made their way to the command center, where everyone was on high alert.

"What's going on?" Calloway asked.

"Major, we've got five Decepticon flyers inbound. They're closing in fast!"

Outside, Dreadwing's Seeker squadron approached the base in flight formation. Dreadwing was in the lead, and was powerlinked to Ariel, who served as his flight assistance.

"Dreadwing, I'm detecting almost two dozen missile rackets harboring anti-aircraft missiles. They're already deploying counterattack measures."

"Will we endanger the cargo by launching an air strike?" Dreadwing asked.

"No, scans show that the base can withstand a lot of damage."

"Good. Seekers, target the communication towers and fire at will!"

"Finally!" Starscream opened his bomb bay doors and fired two missiles alongside Thundercracker and Skywarp.

A rain of fire fell upon the base as the missiles hit the facility head on. Half of the missiles took out the radio towers, effectively eliminating any communication to the outside world. The other missiles hit the rest of the base, mainly the hangar and observation deck. Once they got close enough, the Seekers landed in front of the bunker doors and deposited the Minicons.

"Cover all possible exits and make sure to look for any secret openings. Leader-1," Dreadwing looked down at the Mini-Con. "You know what to do."

Leade-1 nodded and turned to his team consisting of Rook, Crosswise, Cannon, and Thunderclap. He led the charge into the hangar area where the aircraft were parked, leaving the Cons to deal with the talos coming to fight them.

"I've been waiting for some target practice!" Skywarp grinned and opened fire on the talos.

"No, no, no, no…" Calloway said as he quickly ran out of the security room. "How did they find us?"

"Who cares how? Do we have countermeasures in place?" General Howzer said.

"This facility was designed in secret for a reason. Megaton himself could tear this place apart with his bare hands." Calloway started relaying his orders through his radio. "Send out the Tigersharks and take them out! Don't let them get into the holding area!"

"Tigersharks?"

"This base was designed to counteract a possible merfolk attack, not Decepticons." Calloway led Howzer into the armory and entered a code into the weapons locker. "Take what you need. They're experimental, but should do fatal damage to those robots."

Howzer picked up a rifle that looked like a grenade launcher, only more advanced and relatively cool looking. "Nice."

XXXXXX

Kiani's team ran into a group of humans in combat gear sniffing around the hidden alcoves near Muria, a scouting team most likely. Of course, Kiani attacked them with extreme prejudice. Two humans were killed, but Kiani was knocked out from a powerful electrical surge that one of the humans fired at her. It was a rifle that looked like an oversized Taser, specifically made to subdue merfolk.

Kiani was taken back to Muria's military command garrison, where Astrea had taken a ground bridge to the city to see her friend personally.

"Is she alright?" Astrea asked as she looked at Kiani in the healing chamber.

"She'll live, but being shocked with a direct current can drop even her." Brand said. "The humans certainly aren't idle during peacetime."

With it now being clear the next target of the humans was Muria, the city was placed under lockdown, and regular patrols along the city's territory. The city militia remained on standby on the queen's orders, knowing that if anything were to attack Muri, they'd go for the garrison first. Tyr was always right in her hunches, but this time, she washed she was wrong…and she wasn't.

Only an hour after the encounter with the enemy scouts, Atlantian drones detected a sudden change in the undersea currents…and were met with a squadron of hybrid fighters and a volley of missiles.

In the hangar, Astrea and Brand met up with a revived Kiani, who was already decked out combat armor with a full loadout.

"Brand, what's the situation?" She asked.

"All-out assault. Your friends are back with some heavy weapons and a lot of fighters, attacking the Dor base. For now, the fight's ship to ship, so we have to hope they can keep them at bay until we get arrive."

Kiani looked over at Astrea, who was reaching for a rifle. She snatched the princess's hand in a tight grip. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Gearing up." Astrea said.

"Astrea, you are royalty, not a soldier. You belong in the command center." Kiani said.

"This isn't some small incursion, Kiani, this is an all-out assault. You need all the help you can get." She growled.

"Astrea, if anything happened to you, your mother will be devastated and the royal line will be compromised. You'll be more useful helping the queen coordinate our forces." Kiani explained. "You are more useful than any soldier on the battlefield. You can create change from the top down."

Astrea bit her lip, knowing Kiani was right. Tyr had made sure to hammer in the military capabilities of their armies to her children, and now those wartime classes were going to pay off. "Just promise me you'll be careful. Both of you."

"I promise, Princess Astrea." Kiani smiled. "The humans won't be able to touch us."

Kiani saluted her and ran off to grab a Vimana fighter before they were all taken. Astrea cleared the launch bay to give them clearance to launch, and prayed for the safe return of her friends. As she headed back to the command center, she had an idea on how to stop this madness.

"Change things from the tip down," Astrea muttered. A smirk grew on her face. "Okay, then. Let's make a change."

XXXXXX

"Optimus, Teletran just detected Decepticon activity up in Alaska." Bumblebee reported.

"Alaska?" Optimus blinked and looked up at the monitor. "Did you ID them?"

"It's the Seekers, all of them." Bumblebee brought up their profiles. "And it looks like they're going in hard and fast, but for what I don't know."

"We'll soon find out." Rodimus said. "What's the play, Prime? We going to put those Cons on ice?"

"You stay here with Bumblebee and remain on standby, Rodimus. Bumblebee, call up Prowl, Jazz, Bulkhead and Ironhide. We'll need a lot of firepower to get Dreadwing's unit to back off." Optimus said.

"But Prime…" Rodimus groaned.

"I'm sorry, Rodimus, but you're to remain here on watch duty. I need you two on top of things with the Atlantians if anything escalates." Optimus said as he walked down the hall. "Tomahawk has command until I get back."

XXXXXX

Rodimus sat at the comm station in the Ark bored out of his mind. He always hated getting stuck on watch duty and this time, he had no excuses to get out of it.

"Relax, Hot Rod, you'll get a chance to warm up your guns." Bumblebee said. "Want me to call up Tomahawk to keep you company?"

"Don't bother." Rodimus grumbled and flicked Bumblebee's tiny horns. "And what did I tell you about calling me that stupid name you little twerp?"

"Hey, watch the horns!"

The two mechs fooled around for a minute before a chirp on the priority one channel-the emergency comm channel-caught their attention. Bumblebee and Rodimus looked at each other curiously before patching the call through. It was Princess Astrea!

"Princess?" Rodimus blinked in surprise. "What are you-"

"Autobots, we have trouble. There are humans launching an attack on Dor, a military garrison near one of our major cities." Astrea said. "We're holding them back, but I'm afraid this might only be the beginning of something larger. I know this is out of your jurisdiction, but please, we need assistance!"

"Um, Princess, Optimus just took a good portion of our team to fight off some Cons in Alaska. We can't move without his say-so…"

"We'll come help you." Rodimus cut in. "Prime's busy, but there's a good number of us in reserve to make somewhat of a difference."

"Thank you." Astrea smiled. "I'll send you the coordinates for Muria's location. Just please, hurry!"

When the call ended, Bumblebee gave Optimus a glare. "That wasn't your call to make, Rodimus."

"Those people are in trouble and they need our help. We can't just turn them down." Rodimus said.

"That's not-scrap." Bumblebee sighed. "We'll be fighting humans, you know that right? This might have some serious consequences down the line that might come back and bite us in the aft."

"I know, but we've already got some humans as our enemies, in case you've forgotten." Rodimus said. "Come on, Bee, you've been hanging around Prowl too much. There's more to being an Autobot than fighting Cons. Saving lives is what we do."

"All right, all right, I get it." He sighed. "We're going swimming. But you're taking responsibility for this."

"Nyonian's honor." Rodimus said.

"Can we at least notify Tomahawk before we do anything stupid?"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna leave my girl out of this!" Rodimus grinned.

After a few minutes, Rodimus and Bumblebee were in the launch bay with Tomahawk and her assembled team of Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Trailbreaker, Moonracer and Skyfire. The team was ready to go, but only after Rodimus and Tomahawk had a rather heated argument about this sudden turn of events.

"Of all the idiotic things you could've done, Rodimus," Tomahawk growled. "Prime's going to have your head if Prowl doesn't get to you first."

"I'm sorry, hawk, but people are in danger. I couldn't just say no to them." Rodimus said seriously. "I told Bee I would take responsibility and I will. Don't worry."

"With you, I always worry." Tomahawk sighed. "Just…be careful in the water, okay? Underwater combat is really treacherous, especially at those depths."

"Will do, Hawk." Rodimus said, taking her hand. "I'll keep our Bots safe."

On the side, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were having a little talk of their own. "You sure you're up for this, bro?" Sideswipe asked his twin. "I mean, fighting underwater is totally different from-"

"I'm fine." Sunstreaker shifted his hand into a vibro-blade and back again. "Let's just go put these fleshies in their place."

Sideswipe frowned, but nodded. "Okay, bro."

"Everyone ready?" Rodimus asked the team. They all nodded and he gave the thumbs up to Bumblebee. The scout switched on the ground bridge and Rodimus ran forward into battle. "Roll out, Autobots!"

XXXXXX

Astrea watched the ground bridge materialize in the base's hangar bay. She sensed the soldiers behind her tense up a bit, but she only felt relief as she saw Rodimus's team step out of the bridge.

"Autobots, thank goodness you're here!" Astrea exclaimed.

"Heling people is our job, Princess. We're not going to leave you out to dry." Rodimus said.

"That was a terrible joke." Skyfire muttered.

"Don't start with me, Skyfire." He grumbled and looked down at the princess. "So what do you need help with? We aren't that skilled at underwater combat, but we're good enough to hold out own."

"With the forces mobilized at Dor, the city is basically protected by a token force. I'd be a fool if I wasn't expecting another covert sneak attack or something." Astrea said.

"Princess!" A soldier ran into the chamber carrying a touch pad. "Princess, Constable Dyranna detected an intrusion in the eastern side of the city. She wanted to show you this."

Astrea took the pad and held it up so the Autobots could see. It showed exactly what Astrea was afraid of-humans clad in high tech swimming gear moving through the darkest parts of Muria, escorted by five odd-looking aquatic talos. One of the talos carried a large bomb with a hazard symbol on the side. A nuclear warhead.

"Holy slag." Rodimus whispered in shock.

"The humans aren't here to win a war," Astrea said with dread. "They've come to annihilate us."

XXXXXX

Kiani wasn't the biggest fan of the Autobots, seeing them as just one more problem the Atlantians had to deal with, but she had to admit that seeing Skyfire zipping through the water like a great white shark taking out fighters was a nice sight indeed.

All around her, humans and Atlantians fought ferociously. As advanced as the merfolk are, the tenacity of the assault was still surprising. Death was everywhere, and just minutes into the battle there were already casualties on both sides. A fighter flew straight at her and shot a missile in her direction. Kiani was ready to tear it apart with Skyfire flew past her, throwing her off balance.

"Need a hand, sweetheart?" Skyfire shot her guns and took out the missile.

"Watch where you're flying!" Kiani yelled. Skyfire whistled and transformed to robot mode.

"Someone's testy? Where's the love?" She quipped. A fighter locked onto her, but a narrow beam hit its thrusters and sent it careening off into the dark depths.

"Stop joking around, Skyfire." Moonracer said as she took out another fighter. She was holed up within a small grotto, sniping fighters from afar.

The two femmes' contributions to the battle were not unnoticed by the human pilots.

"Blaze, I think we've got Autobots here!" One pilot said.

"What? Impossible!"

"No, I just spotted two Autobots on the field shooting our boys down like nothing." He said.

"Then take them down!"

"Sir?"

"Shoot them down! If they're helping those fish heads, then they're the enemy!"

Skyfire saw some of the fighters break off and target her and Moonracer. She sighed and changed forms, racing off to face them. It was so hard being popular these days.

XXXXXX

Starscream gave a displeasured grunt as he took a missile to the shoulder. He raised his arm and riddled the offender with a barrage of laser blasts that tore apart the missile rack. It was pretty sad how shallow the base's defenses were. You'd think a secret base would have at some decent countermeasures against intruders.

"It's so good to know Megatron has enough faith in our abilities to send us against cannon fodder." Starscream huffed.

"Oh come off it, Starscream." Thundercracker said. "Would you rather we square off against the fish heads like those humans? Because I'd rather we have an easy job to complete instead."

"And that's why you're a lacky and not a commander!" Starscream spat. "You lack ambition."

"And you lack common sense, you skid plated moron." Thundercracker shot back.

"Stop squabbling and remain focused. They could still have reinforcements." Dreadwing said.

As if on cue, a ground bridge appeared and Optimus exited the portal with his team. Dreadwing scowled as he looked at the Prime and turned to face him.

"Prime." Dreadwing growled.

"Dreadwing," Optimus pointed his ion cannon at the Seeker. "Cease this attack at once! These humans have done nothing to you!"

"These humans have committed a grave offense against the Decepticons, Prime!" Dreadwing said. "Not that you would care. They would tear your soldiers limb from limb for their so-called science and you'd still try to defend them!"

Optimus's eyes narrowed. "Dreadwing…"

"We gonna flap our lips or are we gonna waste them, Dreadwing?" Skywarp asked.

"Yes, Dreadwing. What are you orders?" Starscream smirked.

Dreadwing's response was to take out his cannon and fire a missile at the Autobots. They scattered and started shooting at the Seekers, reigniting the battle amidst a field of broken talos.

"This is getting worse by the minute." Calloway muttered as he looked at the screens. General Howtzer was barking orders to the security team, trying to must up somewhat of a counterattack force against the alien intruders. "General, have our artillery units move out and engage the cybertronians."

"Even the Autobots?" Howtzer blinked. He was no fan of the Autobots, but they were doing a damn good job keeping the Cons at bay. "You sure you want to do that, son?"

"General, the last thing we need is the Autobots discovering our little operation here and blabbing to the President about what we have here." Calloway said and marched toward the door. "We need to sanitize this location and make sure no one sets eyes on what we have here."

Calloway took a strike team and quickly made his way to the vault where they kept their captured assets. There were multiple routes to the vault, with the Mini-Cons going down the most direct route. Calloway could already hear the sound of Murphy talos engaging the Mini-Cons with machine gun fire and rockets.

'Those things won't be able to get past the Murphys. They're easy pickings compared to the larger Cons.' He thought as he walked up to a set of heavily armored doors.

Inputting the key code into the scanner and then placing his thumb on the pad to scan his fingerprint, Calloway opened the doors so he could retrieve or destroy what he sought to keep out of alien hands.

Bodies, dozens of them. Merfolk bodies both living and dead prepped for study by Skywatch's xenobioloy division. Many were kept in water filled tanks under heavy sedation, though two unlucky specimens were on dissection tables with their chest cut open to properly examine them. The sight would've made one Veronica Howards sick with rage.

In another smaller room was a holding cell where they kept any merfolk artifacts, especially ones salvaged from the ruins of the city of Marielle, the settlement that was the casualty of a hydrogen bomb going off a couple of miles from it. Maylander had no qualms about using potential weapons to better combat their aquatic neighbors.

Calloway turned to his team. "Gab whatever isn't bolted to the floor or too heavy to carry. Leave the bodies."

The personnel were about to get to it when they heard a terrible screeching sound and turned back to the doors. The screeching came from Bishop, the Minicon gestalt formed from Rook and Crosswise, who was dragging the blood soaked torso of a Murphy behind him. He stopped just a foot away from the Skywatch agents before throwing the wreck over their heads, making them duck.

"You lose something?" Bishop grinned. Leader-1 and Thunderclap walked out from behind him and approached the group.

"I think we all know how this is going to end, yes?" Leader-1 said pleasantly.

"If you people know what's good for you, you'll stay back." Calloway growled, pointing his gun at Leader-1's head.

"Really? You're making threats?" Leader-1 laughed. "You must be joking. Lord Megatron knows what your people did to Ravage and Laserbeak. He wants to put you humans in your place, whether it is quick or slow it entirely up to me. Now you have some goodies that we want, so stand aside and we'll-"

Calloway pulled the trigger and the bullet ricocheted off Leader-1's orange visor.

"…Kill you all slowly and painfully. Thanks for making it easy for me." He nodded to the gestalt next to him. "Bishop?"

Bishop cracked his knuckles and advanced on the terrified humans, planning to make the most of these rarely scored kills.

XXXXXX

Maylander's plan was essentially a suicide mission, plain and simple. Marine Captain William Anderson was to lead a highly trained and skilled team deep into enemy territory to arm the warhead. His team would be escorted by four Tritons, semi-amphibious talos built for underwater combat, the most advanced models the Navy developed. With most of the merfolk army occupied with the fighters, Anderson figured it'd be an easy win so long as he and his team stood on their toes. How wrong he was.

Anderson was expecting interference from the local security forces, maybe even encounter those Atlantian gigas, but not four Autobots swimming at them.

Rodimus slammed into a Triton, narrowly avoiding getting his head skewered by the talos's long arms and sharp claws. When it tried to shove its hand cannon into his face, he twisted his body and shoved his arm cannons into the talos's camera eye, firing off a blast that destroyed the head and camera. He spotted Thalasaar leading his own team to handle the infantry team, and they showed no mercy on them.

"Carter, hurry up and arm the bomb!" Anderson yelled as he fired his gun. One of the merfolk soldiers had sliced his Stingray rifle in two and all he had was a modified glock and a combat knife.

Carter, a woman who just got down slitting a merfolk soldier's throat, quickly swam to the warhead and typed in the launch code. Rodimus saw her and swam after her as Sunstreaker and Sideswipe handled the other talos.

"Stop!" He yelled.

Thalasaar saw her and raced for Carter, grabbing her into a headlock just as she hit enter and the warhead came to life.

"Too late, fish head." Carter grunted.

In his submarine, Maylander watched the combat data come in; the level of power these creatures had was astounding, more than he anticipated. Even unaided, Kiani alone took out dozens of fighters. And now that the Autobots had come into the battle, the operation's difficulty level increased dramatically. If this battle went on any longer, they'll be overpowered.

"Admiral," Lieutenant May said. "We're picking up an activation signal from the primary target."

"Confirm signal."

She did so and nodded. "Confirmed. The warhead has been armed, sir."

"Ready to engage exit strategy." Maylander commanded. "Retreat fighters to rendezvous point. Move into position for final assault."

This was it. Twenty minutes…twenty minutes and it will be all over.

XXXXXX

At Dor, Skyfire and Moonracer stopped fighting as they saw the fighters pull back and fly away. They looked confused as Kiani swam up to them with Astrea.

"I saw the battle from the outpost." Astrea said. "The other fighters also seem to be pulling back."

"So they're retreating?" Moonracer asked.

"Looks like it." Kiani observed.

"Good riddance. About time they realized they bit off more than they could chew." Skyfire laughed, beating her chest.

Suddenly a large shadow fell over them as the submarine moved into position above them.

"Slag, they're not running!" Moonracer shouted.

"They're just getting out of the way!" Astrea gasped.

The two submarines opened their Bombay doors and dropped hundreds of depth charges down on the Murian garrison.

Everyone bean shooting down the depth charges, including the Autobots. Skyfire raced around the water shooting missiles to take out anything near her with Comettor's support. Astrea hung back with Kiani destroying as many explosives as possible. They were so preoccupied with the rain of fire coming down upon them, that they didn't see a depth charge landing on a cliff behind them.

"Watch out!" Moonracer swam up to them and covered the two girls with her body as the depth charge exploded, sending rocks everywhere and knocking them back with the blast wave.

"Moonracer!" Astrea exclaimed as she saw a chunk of the femme's armor get blow off.

Seeing the Autobot get hurt protecting her and Kiani set something off in Astrea and her eyes turned into slits as a surge of power flowed into her.

"ENOUGH!"

Kiani gasped as Astrea swirled the water around her, forming a spinning whirlpool around her body. The princess seemed to move the entire sea with her as she shot toward one of the submarines with the intent of ending this battle for good.

XXXXXX

The assault on the Skywatch base had turned from an invasion into a three way battle between the Autobots, Decepticons, and the Skywatch soldiers. The Seekers shot back at the Autobots in a barrage of laser and missile fire, while dealing quick but devastating strikes at the remaining Skywatch defenders who were poorly equipped to fight off Decepticons.

At the heart of the battle was Optimus and Dreadwing, who were dueling with swords. Optimus had powerlinked with Sparkplug to bring out his heated battle blade, and Dreadwing was powerlinked with Ariel to increase his physical abilities. The Seeker commander came at Prime with attacks fueled by anger and hatred directed at the Autobot leader.

"I will get revenge for my brother, Prime!" Dreadwing growled, pushing against Prime's arm blade. "You and that human will pay greatly for this!"

"Had you and your brother strayed from Megatron's path of conquest, you wouldn't have had to bury your brother!" Optimus said. He broke the deadlock and spin-kicked Dreadwing in the face.

"Don't act so self-righteous, Prime!" Dreadwing spat, blocking Prime's sword and reaching for his head, only to grasp at air. "I'm not so weak as to betray my creed to Lord Megatron for your empty promises!"

"Then the killing will continue until nothing is left!" Optimus shouted. He took out his ion cannon and fired a shot in a single motion, hitting Dreadwing's chest.

"Careful, Dreadwing," Starscream smirked. "Wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself by losing your head to Prime like your brother."

"Focus on your own fight, Screamer!" Jazz said, firing a barrage of cryo-shells into Starscream's back. Starscream's boosters froze over and he crashed into the snowy ground face first.

"Lousy ingrate!" Starscream snarled.

General Howtzer watched it all from the observation deck. He stood in shock and awe as he witnessed the metal giants clash on top of the burning wreckage of Skywatch's most advanced Gernsback talos. The talos teams were forced to fall back or risk getting blown to pieces like their comrades, leaving the cybertronians to fight.

"My god. These creatures…they're too powerful." Howtzer muttered. "Allies or enemies, we're no match for them!"

"How right you are, General." A menacing voice said behind him.

Howtzer spun around long enough to see the barrel of a gun before his head was blasted apart in a gory spray of blood by a single laser blast.

Dreadwing continued to fight Optimus furiously, but the Autobot leader continued to fight back with just as much power. The two mechs were almost on equal ground in terms of strength, but Prime's already exceptional strength was boosted by Sparkplug. Dreadwing narrowly dodged a slash from the battle blade and tried to stab Prime, but Optimus leapt to the side and slammed a knee into his chin.

Dreadwing brought his sword up by instinct, but Optimus's next slash slammed hard enough into his sword to shatter the blade and leave a deep gash in Dreadwing's chest. The blue Seeker fell back into the courtyard, landing on the burning torso of a Gernsback and crushing the pilot's dead body inside.

"Dreadwing!" Ariel cried out.

"I'm fine, Ariel." Dreadwing said, gritting his teeth at the burning pain in his chest plate.

"Stand down, Dreadwing." Optimus said. "Your team is being pushed back and you are alone. You won't be getting anything from this base on my watch."

"Alone." Dreadwing snarled. "And whose fault is that, Prime?"

"Dreadwing!" Dreadwing looked back and saw the Minicons running out of the base with an abundance of goodies pilfered from the vault, along with a live human prisoner. "Take this! It'll help you!"

Dreadwing didn't have time to ask as Leader-1 tossed him an emerald green sword. Reaching out, he was surprised to see the sword enlarge so that it felt nicely in his hand the moment his fingers touched the hilt. Energy crackled from the blade and into his arm, and Dreadwing felt reenergized as he got back to his feet.

And for the first time in centuries, the fabled Atlantian blade, the Sword of Storms, was used in battle.

XXXXXX

Astrea attacked the submarine with the force of a tsunami. She clapped her hands together and tons of water slammed into the vessel's armored hull with enough force to cause its structure to rupture. Inside the sub, chaos took over as the water pressure steadily increased.

"The hull is stressing from the water pressure!" Captain Adams said as he struggled to remain upright.

"It doesn't make any sense." One of the officers said. "We're at nine hundred feet!"

"It makes perfect sense." Adams growled. "We're under enemy attack!"

Astrea continued to strangle the submarine with the very water it swam through, her eyes glowing bright blue as she increased her power. Inside, Captain Adams heard telltale groans along the sub that no submarine commander ever wants to hear.

"The hull's fracturing. Get us to the surface, now!" Adams yelled. "Emergency blow!"

"Now that you've destroyed a city and killed hundreds, thousands of my people, you're just going to call it a day and go home? You think you can just walk away after what you've done?" Astrea's body glowed with power as she chased the sub. "Think again! You need to learn this once and for all…the oceans don't belong to you!"

The fighter pilots and officers onboard one of the naval aircraft carriers sitting upon the area were greatly startled by seeing one of their premier subs suddenly get launched from the water heavily damaged, held in the grasp of a massive wave. Shooting from the water on a water spout, Astrea rose into the air and began attacking any and all fighters in the air that were heading her way.

"Whoa." Skyfire said. "That's…something."

"Autobot!" Kiani swam up to her with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker in tow. "We're still outnumbered by those fighters. Support the princess or her death is on your head!"

"You got it!" Skyfire transformed and shot to the surface, flying into the air in jet mode and began shooting at the fighters attacking Astrea.

"You two," She turned to the twins. "You will help me keep anymore fighters from getting airborne."

"Us?" Sideswipe gaped at her.

"How do you expect us to get up there?" Sunstreaker asked.

Kiani rolled her eyes; were all men the same no matter what race they were? "Just brace yourselves."

Kiani wrapped the three of them in strong currents of water and used them to shoot up to the surface. They burst out of the water like rockets and onto the deck of the nearest carrier. One of the soldiers on the deck spotted them and was the first to be taken out when Kiani punched his face, breaking his nose and a few teeth.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker got to their feet on the runway and immediately started taking cover as the ship's talos units started shooting at them.

"They're mine!" Sunstreaker ran forward and unleashed a burst of extremely hot energy at the nearest talos. One Triton lost its arm, which Sunstreaker used to stab its claws into its head. Two more shot at him and he lashed out with a powerful kick that nearly caved in the cockpit of a Triton pilot, knocking him unconscious. The last pilot tried to grab Sunstreaker, but he took its arm and threw it into one of the unmanned planes.

"Whoa, Sunny, chill out with the ultraviolence!" Sideswipe said.

"You focus on your job, I'll focus on mine!" Sunstreaker shouted and went back to beating down the talos.

Kiani used her water spouts to slice up the wings and thrusters of the jets to ground them. Sideswipe protected her from the soldiers that were shooting at her. He knew Optimus was going to be furious with them, but considering the circumstances, they might get a pass for this once.

"Comettor, try to locate the second sub." Skyfire said as she weaved through the air, shooting down another fighter's wing. "It's got to be here somewhere."

Down below, the Ajax combat submarine got a lock on Skyfire's position and Maylander gave the order to fire.

"Frag!" She yelled as two cruise missiles shot out of the water at her. She quickly shot down the first one but the second hit her in the chest and blew her out of the air. Astrea gasped as she saw the Autobot fall into the water.

"Skyfire?" Astrea looked up and saw two fighters heading their way, firing two missiles each. She dragged Skyfire underwater to help her escape the missiles and made sure that she was far from danger.

Astrea turned her glare onto the Ajax. No more people were going to get hurt today. The merfolk didn't start this war, but Astrea was sure as hell going to finish it!

XXXXXX

The Sword of Storms was an ancient weapon of Atlantian lore. Legends said that the first king of Atlantis used its incredible power to break apart glaciers and cause abnormal weather patterns to form, creating the conditions for a storm. Whether or not these legends were true is still speculation, but upon first glance, one could tell it was not made by mortal hands. The sword was yet another gift bestowed upon the mortals of Terra by the dolems.

Dreadwing felt power flow into his body as the sword enlarged itself to fit into his hand. The sword, with its sea green blade that glinted beautifully in the sunlight, crackled with energy, and the sky seemed to get darker as more power flowed from the blade. Autobots and Seekers alike paused in their fighting to look at the spectacle.

"What is that?" Starscream breathed.

"Oh boy," Bulkhead groaned. "We're in trouble."

"Incredible. To think that such power could be found in this frozen wasteland." Dreadwing said. He held the sword in both hands and swung it at the Skywatch base.

"No!" Optimus yelled.

There was a bright flash as the sword unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning that tore through the observation deck and killed everyone inside as it continued to shatter the Cliffside the base was built upon. The ice cracked and crumbled away, taking with it the majority of the installation and anybody still inside. Everything fell into the canyon below, leaving behind an empty space where a military complex used to be.

"Holy…" Leader-1 muttered.

Optimus was the first to recover from his shock as he charged at Dreadwing with his blade out. He channeled energon into the hyper-coils in his legs to increase his speed and lunged at the Con.

"Dreadwing!" Ariel cried out.

"I know!" Dreadwing spun around and met Prime's blade with his own attack.

There was a deafening screech as their blades clashed, and after that, two things happened. One; Optimus's battle blade shattered on contact with the sword. Two, the energy wave caused by the clash blew them both back, though Optimus took a fair amount of damage as the window panes on his chest shattered and almost caved in his chest plate. He hit the ground hard and rolled to a stop on his front. He didn't get back up.

"Prime's down!" Ironhide shouted, running over to Optimus.

Starscream grinned and pointed his guns at Ironhide's back, but Thundercracker put a hand on his arm.

"Finishing the mission." Thundercracker said. "We've won, Starscream. It's over."

"It's not over until they're dead. Prime and his lackies are vulnerable! Weak! We can kill them all right now!"

"We've already completed our mission objective, Starscream, and we aren't totally unscathed either. Dreadwing's not looking too hot after using that sword, and we're almost as bad as him." Thundercracker replied. "Now are you going to comply, or do we have a problem?"

Starscream scowled, but he relented and powered down his weapons. He pushed Thundercracker aside and walked away.

"I will not forget this, Thundercracker." Starscream growled.

Dreadwing couldn't feel his arm as he knelt on the ground, exhausted. He glared at Optimus as a ground bridge appeared behind him.

"Dreadwing, we need to go." Skywarp said to him.

Dreadwing nodded and Skywarp helped him up and into the bridge. Before entering the portal, he gave one last look at Optimus.

'I will kill you one day, Prime. You will pay for my brother's death…or that of the human who slayed him!'

XXXXXX

"Holy slag," Sideswipe gaped at the giant wave that Astrea was summoning. "Bro, we gotta bounce!"

Even Maylander couldn't hide his shock as he saw the massive wave reach almost a mile into the air, higher than even the altitude the fighters were flying. What's more astonishing was the giant water construct of Astrea that was controlling it. The aircraft carrier, the fighters, the sub, everything was engulfed as Astrea channeled the fury of the ocean into this attack.

With a wave of her hand, Astrea brought the submarine crashing down onto the carrier. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker barely got off when the sub crashed onto the ship hard enough to capsize it, tearing a hole into the lower deck of the carrier. In one fell swoop, she torched the ship, the submarine, and the fighters. But it still wasn't enough for her.

Astrea raised her hand to deliver another attack when someone blocked her path.

"That's enough, kid. You've won!" Skyfire said.

Astrea glared at her, but she slowly calmed down. She relinquished her control over the water and slowly lowered herself onto an ice platform beside Skyfire. The Autobot Seeker swam over to her and patted her back with a large finger.

"It's over." She whispered.

XXXXXX

Down below the waves, Rodimus and Armorhide were dealing with another problem. The nuclear warhead that was about to go off in five minutes. With the help of two merfolk soldiers named Brande and Siphon, they were able to get away from the city via hanging onto the wings of the Vimana fighters to increase their speed.

Let it be known that Rodimus had no experience in diffusing bombs, let alone highly destructive ones like nuclear warheads. He threw them, not stopped them. Surprisingly, Armorhide was a very handy tech-head, but there was only one problem.

"You don't know how to diffuse it?" Rodimus shouted. "This thing will kill us, Armorhide!"

"I know, but I've only worked with cybertronian devices. How am I supposed to know how to diffuse a human made bomb?" Armorhide shot back.

"It's a nuclear bomb! Everything within a hundred miles of us is going to die, Armorhide, including us!" Rodimus screamed.

'Neptune help us, these aliens act like hysterical children.' Siphon thought. At the current speed they were going, they might be able to get the bomb out of Muria's range, but it will be too late for them no matter how fast they went. But then Armorhide had an idea.

"Brande, stop!" Armorhide yelled.

"What? Why?"

"Trust me." Brande slowed to a stop and Armorhide contacted the Ark. "Bee? This is Armorhide, do you read me?"

"_Just barely…what's going on?" _Bumblebee replied.

"We have a live nuclear warhead about to go off, we need a ground bridge!"

"_Right, I'll bridge you and Rodimus back to the Ark-"_

"No! put the bridge as far into Terra's orbit as possible!" Armorhide said.

"_What?!" _

"Do as he says, Bee!" Rodimus said, realizing what Armorhide had planned.

Bumblebee sent them a ground bridge and Armorhide had Brande glide him towards the portal as fast as possible. When Brande stopped his Vimana short of the bridge, Armorhide used the momentum to go flying right into the porta…and reemerged in outer space.

Weightless, Armorhide threw the bomb as hard as he could into the void, letting it sail off outside of the planet's orbit. He didn't stay to watch the fireworks, and propelled himself back into the ground bridge just as the bomb exploded in a bright flash of light, like a star going nova.

"Armorhide!" Rodimus hugged the Autobot tightly as he reappeared from the ground bridge. "You did it!"

"I…I did it?" Armorhide muttered in a daze.

"Yeah, kid, you totally did." Brande grinned. "Kiani, this is Brande. Mission accomplished. We got rid of the humans' doomsday clock and won the day!"

Back on the surface, Admiral Maylander sat on the stairs inside his half-destroyed submarine, glaring at the dead monitor in front of him. The sub was certainly in better shape than the rest of the carrier, that's for sure.

"Report." He said.

"Sonar is clear, Admiral. No evidence of detonation." The officer said quietly. "It's possible the shockwave reading is hampered by the depth of the blast. We're continuing monitoring."

"Forget it." Maylander spat. "We're done here."

XXXXXX

As everything calmed down both above and below the ocean's surface, the Autobots-both teams-returned to the Ark to recover from their battles. Optimus was rushed to the medibay, where he would spend some time in the CR chamber while the others had some repairs and rested.

"Just when I think you couldn't anger me enough, you somehow exceed my expectations, Rodimus." Prowl said tightly.

"That's a first." Rodimus quipped.

"Rodimus, please." Tomahawk sighed.

"You mobilized a team without authorization into a warzone, and you took part in a non-cybertronian conflict and attacked numerous Osean soldiers in broad daylight." Prowl listed. "Agent Barnett is torn between praising you for helping avert a disaster and wanting to kick your ass."

"The princess needed our help, Prowl. What do you think we should've done, say no to her face? Actually, no, don't answer that. I already know your answer." Rodimus said and crossed his arms. "I know I went off on my own, but I'm not apologizing for saving lives. Tthat's the whole reason I became an Autobot."

"The Autobot were formed to stop the Decepticons. The whole reason we're even on this planet is to stop the Cons from burning this world!" Prowl growled. "That is the whole reason any of us are even on this planet, and we can't achieve that by getting involved in other people's conflicts!"

"Don't kid yourself, Prowl. I joined to save lives, no matter what race they are. You only wear that badge because Sentinel kicked you to the curb when you stopped being useful." Rodimus spat.

Prowl actually looked like he was going to punch Rodimus for that, but Prime's voice stopped the argument.

"That's enough from both of you. There's no point in arguing over something that has already passed." Optimus said, walking into the room. The two mechs backed, but didn't let go of their agitation.

"Optimus, are you feeling okay?" Tomahawk asked.

"I feel better now that I've recovered. Some rest will do me some good." Optimus said and looked at Prowl. "Prowl, we have already proven Decepticon involvement in the incident, so our interference in the conflict does not go against protocol. And know that we Autobots do not exist for the sole purpose of fighting Decepticons. We are meant to show the galaxy that we are more than just monotonous robots. Rodimus's actions were insubordinate, but he has saved hundreds of lives and that is a victory in itself."

Then he looked at Rodimus. "Rodimus, you shouldn't have taken a team without at least notifying me. Engaging Osean soldiers and attacking an aircraft carrier could have consequences for the entire team."

"I know, and I'm prepared to accept any punishment, Optimus. I just couldn't let those people get wiped out without at least trying to help them." Rodimus sighed. "But, uh…about those consequences…"

"There are few, if any, complaints from the Osean government and military, thankfully. They're more concerned about the political mess caused by Maylander's unauthorized attack on Atlantis." Optimus said. "I don't think I need to tell you that the Admiral is in deep trouble."

"What's the word on that?" Tomahawk asked.

"Agent Barnett told me that the Atlantians have taken Maylander and his crew prisoner. The president is meeting with Queen Tyr to negotiate the transfer into Osean custody, where they'll be tried for war crimes. There's a good chance Maylander will face a court martial and serious jail time." Optimus explained. "On top of that, there were numerous documents and images released to the media. Information stolen from the Skywatch base by the Mini-Cons."

"I take it it wasn't good." Rodimus guessed.

"Yes, apparently Maylander and a couple of military officials were involved with Skywatch in the capture and experimentation of merfolk, all under the president's nose." Prowl said. "Flagg's furious and the merfolk are out for blood. No doubt the government's going to come down harder on Skywatch this time."

"Chaos all around." Tomahawk sighed. "Let me guess, the Cons?"

"All signs point to it. They did a good job causing an even bigger rift between humans and merfolk, and they had plenty of material to make it last too." Optimus crossed his arms. "We've stopped the massacre of an entire race, but the damages will last for some time. All we can do is wait and see what happens now."

XXXXXX

"Dreadwing! Welcome home, great warrior!" Megatron greeted his Seeker commander like a returning war hero as he walked into the bridge of the Nemesis. "I see the raid was successful."

"That it was, Lord Megatron. And here is the prize of our gamble." Dreadwing held out the emerald sword to Megatron. "The Sword of Storms."

"I take it the sword lives up to its name?" Megatron asked.

"You have no idea." Starscream muttered.

Megatron hesitantly reached out to touch the sword, but jerked his hand back when his fingers were met with a painful shock from the hilt. "It seems the sword has chosen you, Dreadwing. It is yours, a reward for defeating Prime so spectacularly."

"I am honored, sir. Thank you." Dreadwing said.

Though he didn't show it, Dreadwing was elated. For now he had the perfect weapon to strike down Optimus Prime and avenge his brother's spirit. The Sword of Storms has tasted Autobot blood, and it was hungry for more!

* * *

**That's it for this little two-parter of Devastation. I'm on fire today. Just got done with chapter 31 of this story, and boy what a chapter that was, and I'm ****halfway done typing down the first chapter of Mosiac. I had fun writing this chapter, and the next one is going to be just as good. Be sure to check out my ****Transformers Titan website on Wordpress, and check out my original fantasy series, Fantasia: Red Dawn, on Fictionpress under the name Saya3x3. Thanks ****for reading and please leave a review. **


	12. Daughter of the Zodiac

Chapter 12-Daughter of the Zodiac

Nippon, the land of the rising sun. Despite being a relatively small nation comprised of a collection of islands, Nippon was a powerful country with a long history and a lot of pride to show for it. Nippon was a country that managed to maintain its identity and independence in an age of imperialism, refuting repeated invasion attempts from Yuktobania, Joseun, and Britannia. It was a world power and one of the leading nations in science and technology.

In the one and half years that he had been here, Jazz couldn't think of a time he had been to Nippon. With all the craziness that was going on with this planet, it was hard to get some decent downtime that didn't equate as energon scouting. But he always felt an affinity with Nipponese culture; the age old traditions, the samurai culture, the uniqueness of the nation's history as a whole, it all reminded him of his years spent in Yoketron's sanctuary. By rights, his first official visit should have been a memorable one, but Megatron crashing the party and everyone getting caught up in the dolem's attack ruined the thrill of meeting Lucy Chan, his favorite martial arts actor.

But he had a second chance in the form of the join solar energy project. As per the terms of the Cybercord Treaty the Autobots had with most of the world's nations, the Autobots would provide small advances in technology to better improve the lives of humans, be it medicine or energy conservation. Ratchet and Lifeline were working in Anea, helping poor communities with free medicine and food (the local warlords knew better than to try to start something with the giant robots after Lifeline delivered some just retribution on them), and Wheeljack was heading a solar energy plant in Osea, but it was Nippon that had contacted the Autobots for help with a revolutionary power plant that could solve their country's growing energy concerns.

Jazz volunteered, of course, and essentially tagged along with Armorhide and Bulkhead (Bulkhead was a very handy construction worker and Armorhide, despite having little field combat experience was an extremely capable mechanic). It was a great way to mend things with the Nipponese government after that horror show a couple of months ago.

After making some preparations, the three Autobots took a ground bridge to the science research center in Edo to meet up with the head of the new power plant they were making. As soon as he stepped foot on the ground, Jazz stretched his arms and smiled.

"Oh man, it feels good to be back in the Far East again!" jazz said. "Maybe we can finally hit the landmarks without being swarmed by Megs and his posse."

"Uh, you sure I should come along, sir?" Armorhide asked, looking around at the gawking humans watching them. "Last time we were here, uh, things didn't go very well."

"Relax, kid, and you can drop the sir. Just call me Jazz." Jazz patted Armorhide's shoulder. "Of course we're sure about taking you along. You gotta get used to being around humans more. And you're really good with your hands."

"You're pretty good with those tools of yours. Not Wheeljack good, but close enough." Bulkhead said.

"Gee thanks." Armorhide grumbled.

A young woman walked out of the building and approached the three Autobots. She was a classic Nipponese beauty, with short black hair that curled at the ends and icy blue eyes behind a pair of narrow glasses. Somehow, the light gray business suit she wore made her stand out more, and Jazz knew she had to have had her fair share of admirers in the workplace.

"Hello, Autobots. My name is Dr. Chika Tanaka," She gave them all a polite bow in greeting. "I'm the head of the renewable power plant project we're developing."

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Tanaka. I'm Jazz and these are my friends, Armorhide and Bulkhead. Thanks for having us." Jazz said, returning the bow.

Chika smiled. "Welcome to the Babylon Project, Autobots. I'm glad you three decided to return to Edo. I'm sure the memories of that incident are still fresh for you."

"Well, we Autobots never turn down someone in need." Armorhide said. "But, uh, what do you need us for?"

"As per the conditions of the Cybercord Treat between you and the member nations that are a part of it, the Autobots are allowed to provide small advancements of technology, yes?" Chika asked.

"Yeah, that's true." Bulkhead nodded, still eying the large power source he spotted in the building behind her. "I take it this involves that giant doo-hickey behind you?"

"Correct. That's the crown jewel of the Babylon Project, the Dawn Reactor. Nippon's first foray into using clean energy to power our cities to lessen the use of fossil fuels." Chika said and motioned behind her. "Would you like to see it?"

"Absolutely!" Armorhide said excitedly. Jazz smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Well, you guys go on ahead and have fun. I'm going to hit the road." He said.

"You're not coming?" Bulkhead said.

"Nah. You guys have fun with the techie stuff." Jazz transformed into vehicle mode and revved his engine. "I'm off to do some sightseeing."

Jazz did a hard turn and drove out of the parking lot and sped down the road. Chika watched him go with a small, disapproving frown.

"I do hope he follows the traffic laws." She muttered.

XXXXXX

Jazz drove down the twisting highway that curved around the width of a small mountain at speeds no human would dare attempt at that height. He had better control over his wheels than even the best human sports cars, and split second reaction times that could keep him from tipping over or driving off the edge.

Maybe it was kind of careless to leave those two behind, but it would be a waste to just stand around with all the techno-babble when there's new land to explore. Besides, he wanted to look up some updates on Ginza's rebuilding. Though the district was only moderately damaged in the battle between Prime and Megatron, the true horror came from the survivors of the dolems' sick, twisted games-many were killed, a few requiring psychiatric help, and others…just couldn't handle the nightmares anymore. It was sad, depressing and scary.

Jazz was no stranger to fear. Everyone was afraid of something on some level, and he was trained to control that fear-channel it into something productive. It was a tactic he tried teaching Arcee. But the dolems were…odd. Their power was nothing to sniff at, their god complexes, the scope of their influence, it was all staggering to think about. It was disheartening to see the people like this, and he was sure that the Nipponese government would've at least been somewhat reluctant to accept the Autobots back, but apparently only a small minority of people blamed them. Much of the hate was turned on the Decepticons for initiating the attack.

'Those yahoos back at the States could learn a thing or two from Nippon.' Jazz thought, thinking of those Humanity Front thugs. They were a pack of wild animals nipping and biting at any esper or esper supporter without reason and Jazz could easily see them being manipulated by less noble people. It was the same story every time.

As Jazz came onto a road leading into a nearby coastal town, he spotted a little figure standing in the middle of the road-a little girl. Startled, Jazz hit the brakes and swerved to avoid hitting her, leaving skid marks deep into the ground as he slid past the girl and came to a stop. He summoned his holoform and got out to check on the girl.

"Hey, kid, you alright?" Jazz asked, running over to her. "Man, didn't you folks teach you to never play in the street?"

The girl said nothing, just turning to look at Jazz. She was a pretty girl with a delicate appearance. Jazz thought she almost looked like an elf with how pale she was, and from her pointed ears and long golden hair. She wore a white dress and sandals and looked around ten years old with bright violet eyes that seemed to stare not at him, but through him. There was something about her gaze that said she was looking at something he couldn't see.

"It's okay, Jazz. I knew you wouldn't hit me." The girl said in a soft, airy voice. Jazz blinked at her.

"Wait, how did you know my name?" He asked. The girl's smile widened.

"I knew because of your song." She answered.

XXXXXX

Very few things in the universe could freak Jazz out and creepy humans were one of them. Running into a girl who actively sought him out by hearing his "songs" left him with a bit of a dilemma, so he decided to take the girl over to a nearby park for a bit of one on one.

Once he found a secluded area of the park people rarely walked through, he and the mysterious girl sat down and began what was sure to be an interesting conversation. And the girl knew all the high notes to kick it off.

"So you got a name, sweetheart?" Jazz asked. The girl took a minute to answer before smiling up at him.

"My name's Melody." She said sweetly. "At least, that's what the nice people at Zodiac called me."

"Wait, Zodiac?" Jazz exclaimed. He quickly scanned the park area for any sign of hidden agents, but found nothing. "Um, what do you mean Zodiac?"

Melody was already starting to drift off onto another subject as she looked around at the park. "The music here is so soft. The trees are all the same but each has a slightly different tune." She said wistfully. "You have a nice song too, Jazz. Slow and soothing, it's relaxing."

"Thanks." Jazz said, warily looking at her. "Um, what kind of song do I have?"

"Smooth jazz, just like your name. It rolls off you in waves, sometimes low and sometimes high. Calm and light." She said.

"Huh." He muttered. "And…what about that woman over there? The one with the baby carriage."

Melody looked at the woman he was pointing to and said, "Her song is…death metal. She is loud and strong, very noisy, but right now she's in a low chorus with her baby."

Yeah, she was an esper. Her power seemed very subtle, though. "Hey, could you talk more about your caretakers? The Zodiac people? Do they take care of you?"

"Yes, they're really caring, though there was a lot of noise coming from them. So many songs in one place makes it hard to focus." Melody said, her bright eyes looking at the sunny area they sat in. "One of them was a man. I think they called him Cancer."

"Cancer," Jazz muttered. That was one of the twelve Zodiac all right. "Melody, have they done anything bad to you?"

"No, they didn't hurt me or anything. The people there just ran some tests whenever I went to see the doctor. I didn't understand why because I was never sick, but I think it's because I can do this."

Melody waved her hand over a patch of grass, and to Jazz's surprise, the wilted flowers sitting next to their bench suddenly began to rise as if they were rejuvenated. Within seconds they looked good as new.

"Whoa." He said. It took a lot to make Jazz speechless, but this was one of those rare moments.

Melody giggled. "They also had the same expression. I don't think they were expecting me to do this. They were all looking so surprised, and their songs were bright and upbeat as they talked to me. Except Cancer. I don't think he was very happy."

"I see." Jazz said, frowning. "Well, Melody, since you went to so much trouble to find me, how about I take you back to my place to meet some of my friends? Give you a place to stay and have something to eat."

"Really? That would be wonderful!" Melody smiled and Jazz swore that the world got brighter at that moment.

XXXXXX

"What do you mean you've lost track of her?"

"I'm sorry, sir. The subject was under satellite surveillance for the past day until we lost her signal. It could be a malfunction or-"

A strong hand grasped the scientist around the throat and began to squeeze his windpipe. Angry gold eyes glared into the man's watering eyes as he was slowly choked to death. His coworkers hung back, wanting to help their friend but not wanting to get killed.

"How hard is it to find a little Europian girl in Nippon? We should've found her yesterday for god's sake!" The general growled.

"We're…trying…" The man choked, trying to breathe. "Difficult…"

"Well then try harder!" The general sneered, tightening his hold on the man's windpipe, now on the verge of crushing it.

"Taurus, enough!"

Taurus looked over his shoulder and saw a woman bravely walking up to him. She was a tiny thing, reaching up to his shoulder, and looked dainty enough for him to break her in half. She wore a beige cotton sweater over a pink blouse and dress pants. Her hair was short and black, and her eyes were a bright emerald green.

"Libra," Taurus grumbled, stilling choking the scientist. "Don't start with me, girl. I'm not in the mood."

"Stop acting like a rabid animal and put him down." Libra commanded.

Taurus glared at her before dropping the man. Without another word he followed Libra into the soundproof office set up for them as the scientist was escorted to the on-site clinic.

"Going off on our loyal subordinates is something that maniac Leo would do. Not you. Learn to control yourself, would you?" She said.

"Shut it, Libra. Our project is about to go down the drain thanks to that brat of yours!" Taurus hissed. "Just when our efforts were gaining results, this happens!"

"Maybe if you didn't continually frighten the girl, we wouldn't be in this mess." Libra replied.

"At least I got results." Taurus grumbled and sat down on the chair with a sigh. "All that hard work…" He groaned.

"If this is going to set you off, then I know you're going to hate this new update."

"What now?" He growled.

"Three Autobots just appeared in Nippon an hour ago to help with the Helios Project." Libra said. "And thanks to some newly acquired info, we now have an idea of where Melody is going."

"Excuse me? You mean you know where she'll be?" Taurus said. "Where?"

Libra reached into her drawer and pulled out a colorful drawing of a girl holding hands with a silver Autobot. "Where do you think?"

XXXXXX

Doctor Chika Tanaka stared at Jazz with the sternest, most authoritarian glare she could muster, which wasn't too hard considering she perfected her flawless glare over the course of her professional career. Even Jazz felt the urge to break into a cold sweat, and he didn't even have sweat glands.

"Mr. Jazz-" She began.

"Just Jazz, please." Jazz said.

"…" Chika's glare went from blisteringly cold to absolutely glacial. Jazz wilted like a dry flower.

"Sorry."

"…Jazz, I'm not sure what kind of shenanigans you Autobots get up to when you're "off the clock" but I'm sure it doesn't involve bringing little girls into highly dangerous construction sites."

"Look, I'm sorry for springing her on ya but this really is related to work, er, my work." Jazz said. He got down on one knee and gave her a charming smile. "Please, Doctor Tanaka, just watch over her for a little while, okay? It's super important."

Chika wanted to say no to his face as penance for his recklessness, but a small hand took hers. She looked down and saw Melody smiling up at her, though her eyes seemed to be looking as something else entirely.

"Your song is sweet." Melody said kindly. "Let It Go is your favorite song, isn't it?"

"H-How…?" Chika stammered. She blushed and glared up at a smirking Jazz. "J-Just do what you have to do."

Once that was settled, Jazz pulled Bulkhead and Armorhide to the side and explained the situation to them. Their reactions were to be expected.

"Wait, that girl is with OZ?" Bulkhead blinked. "Are you serious, Jazz?"

"Like a terminal illness, Bulk. She named dropped one of them and the entire group. Those guys are probably operating in Nippon."

"We haven't seen those bastards since the headmaster war." Bulkhead grumbled. "Looks like they're finally done licking their wounds."

"OZ? As in the same people who tortured Sunstreaker?" Armorhide asked, glancing over at the girl as she talked with Chika. "She's with them?"

"No," Jazz said firmly. "No, Armorhide, the chances are that she's just another victim. She's an orphan and they were conducting some kind of experiments on her. Melody's an esper, but her powers…they don't seem to match at all."

"So do we call this in?" Bulkhead asked.

"Not yet. With OZ involved, we can't hunt them down without causing a scene, and they could have some connections that might give us a hard time in the future." Jazz looked over at Melody. "Besides, we should be finding out where they snatched up the poor girl."

"We can't just sit back and do nothing, Jazz. What if they come looking for her?" Armorhide asked.

"Then we punch 'em in the nose if they come sniffing too closely. Nippon is the turf of a Zodiac general we've never seen before, so we can't go on a manhunt. They don't know we're here yet, so I want to keep it that way for as long as possible." Jazz explained. "Bulk, you head out and look for any possible orphanages Melody was taken from that is run by a Sister Margaret. Melody said to look for her."

"Got it." Bulkhead nodded. "And you?"

"Armorhide and I will keep an eye on the girl. She seems to love hanging around me for some reason, so I better stay close to her." Jazz smiled and clapped his hands. "All right, gents, you have your assignments, so let's get it in gear!"

"Hello?"

"Gah!" All three Autobots jumped back as Melody popped up between them.

"Where did she come from?!" Armorhide coughed.

Chika skillfully hid her smile behind her hand at the sight of three giant robots jumping scared at a little girl. Revenge was sweet, after all.

XXXXXX

Espers were an enigma to Armorhide. He knew there were some races in the galaxy who gained special powers from certain quirks in their biology, be it gaining superhuman physical abilities by absorbing solar radiation or innate psychic abilities within physically frail aliens. It was nothing new to Armorhide, who admittedly took a special interest in such races, but the races of Terra were incredibly varied.

There was no rhyme or reason to their powers. There was no pattern, barely any similarities and no clear source. Some called it evolution, but even Armorhide knew that evolution didn't work like this.

But he was an Autobot, and if Jazz wanted him to look out for the girl, then he was going to do it! Even if she was a bit odd.

"So, uh, you like music?" Armorhide asked. He was sitting with Melody in a far off corner of the industrial section, far away from the bulk of the noisy energy production and construction work going on. The girl sat calmly next to the 25 foot tall robot as if it was the most normal thing in the world to do, drawing on pieces of paper with crayons provided to her by Doctor Tanaka.

"So you like to draw, huh?" Armorhide said, tapping his fingers on his bulky knees. "That's cool. I have a few friends up in space who can draw entire cities with intricate detail."

"Are their songs nice?" Melody asked.

"Uh…I think so. They're not the most socially adapt, but they're decent enough people." He shrugged. At least they didn't have Knockout's arrogance. "So what are you drawing?"

"My dreams."

"You dreams?" He blinked. Melody nodded and showed him one of her finished works.

It was drawn in the same messy style children are known for, but cleaner in a sense that there weren't too many squiggles. But the image she drew deeply unsettled Armorhide. It showed two notable Autobots, Rodimus and Ironhide, and Ironhide was lying on his side with a black hole in his chest.

"W-What…" Armorhide stammered, unable to really form words. "Melody, what is this?"

"My dreams. Lately I've been having dreams, and a lot of them are scary. I see your faces in them, and your songs are so sad and angry." Melody went on, either ignoring Armorhide's fear or not noticing it. She finished another drawing and showed it to him.

This drawing showed Optimus and Megatron, each sitting atop a massive flying reptile, battling each other in the sky. Optimus was wielding a large sword, and Megatron brandishing a curved scythe.

The next one showed the Decepticons tearing apart a city with their flag atop the tallest building.

A stick figure that looked suspiciously like Gina carrying the still body of another person, and Armorhide was horrified to recognize the green eyes and black hair of Darren.

"I don't know what they mean, but their songs are full of anguish and sorrow. It hurts to look at them sometimes." Melody sighed. Her sad eyes looked up at a visibly disturbed Armorhide. "I've seen you too. I can draw you, if you want. My dreams don't fade away immediately like other people."

"No…no, I'm goo." Armorhide said coldly. Melody flinched at his tone.

"I'm…sorry. Your songs, they sound-"

"Upset? Uncomfortable? Slightly perturbed? Yeah, I thought so too." He said. He took a glance at the pictures and looked away.

Melody wisely kept quiet when she saw his song buzz like angry bees.

This was the scene Jazz came back to after finishing his call to Optimus. One look at their faces, and then to the drawings Melody made, was enough to make the connection. He cleared his throat and scooped up Melody into his arms. "Hey, guys! I'm done giving Prime the rundown. He's going to let us keep an eye on things here. You wanna join me for a ride?"

XXXXXX

After taking the ferry to the mainland, Jazz drove Melody through the moderately empty streets in a leisurely drive. Melody sat in the passenger seat and hadn't said a word the entire ride. Jazz sighed and made to initiate a conversation.

"Not many kids your age can draw, you know. It's mostly just phones and music for them, though I'm not sayin' music is a bad thing-"

"It's okay, Jazz. I'm used to it. Your friend was just afraid, just like the others." Melody said softly. She looked outside the window as she thought back to her time at the lab. "The people who took care of me were also afraid of what I could…what I saw."

Jazz drove her to a secluded part of the road that couldn't be traversed on foot. He transformed and carried Melody over to a river away from prying eyes where they could talk in private. Sitting down at the edge of the river, Melody dipped her toes in the cool water as she continued to weave her tale to an unusually somber Jazz.

"I could speak to animals. They listened to me, sought me out because of my voice." She said. "When I was very sad, sometimes it would rain, and on bad days it would thunder. I had to be careful of my temper, because the last time I got angry, I…"

Jazz exhaled as Melody's voice caught in her throat. They sat together under the afternoon sun, hidden from civilization. Jazz asked her way they were interested in her powers, and she gave the best answer she could with her limited knowledge.

"My powers…they aren't normal. Miss Libra, my caretaker, said that I see the world through songs, but everything else was something rare in this day and age. She said I was a rare breed of human…someone who was superior to even espers. Miss Libra said that my powers came from something called, um…" Melody tapped her chin. "Quint…quintessence?"

"Say what?" Jazz looked at her. He heard that word before, uttered by the same monsters that had tried kill him and his friends multiple times. It's all the dolems were obsessed about.

"A lot of what they said didn't make sense to me, but Miss Libra said that I was special and that's good."

"Yeah, that is good…" Jazz muttered. "Melody, those people you were with…they aren't good people. They've done things, terrible things to other people. The reason they're so interested in your power is because they want to use you to further their own goals."

"I know. They're songs…they were ominous and dull, like a bass playing the same note over and over again. But Miss Libra, her song is an orchestra. Whenever she got excited, it got louder and grander, and being near her was fun!" Melody looked up at Jazz. "I don't think she was bad. Do you, Jazz?"

Jazz frowned, finding it hard to explain the intricacies of the human heart to a little girl. Melody's powers have left her mentally stunted, far more than Darren, Annie and Gina. Whoever this Libra was, she sounded like she knew a lot about the nature of Melody's powers, which wasn't a good thing. In his experience, smart supervillains were something to be wary of.

He refrained from answering Melody's question and stood up. "Hey, do you want to go the park, Melody?"

XXXXXX

The ride to the park felt longer than it should, mainly due to the silence between Jazz and Melody. Clearly their little talk had brought up some memories for the girl, but Jazz wondered if it was more along the lines of loneliness than abuse.

They arrived at the local park, where Jazz's holoform avatar escorted Melody into the less populated areas of the park. Being surrounded by nature, pure and untouched, their calm and happy songs made Melody's little face light up like the sun. She danced and twirled through the trees, which seemed to rustle and shake as she got near them. Jazz couldn't help but smile at the sight. With Melody humming and dancing amongst the flowers, she looked like a fairy tale princess.

His comm rang and he answered. "Jazz here."

"_Jazz, it's me, Bulkhead."_

"Bout time, Bulk. You make any progress in your search?" Jazz asked.

"_You bet. I managed to track down the orphanage Melody came from. It's a nice little place around the outskirts of the city we're in, run by a nun who watches over the children. Many of the orphans are actually espers, though Nippon's rural areas are a lot more tolerable of espers than we give them credit for." _Bulkhead said. _"Melody's parents died in a car accident, and looking back at the reports, it was a gruesome scene. I think her powers just emerged around that time, and according to the nun, Melody was still conscious through it all."_

"Primus," Jazz whispered, looking at the girl. No wonder she's in such a state. She watched her parents die right before her eyes.

"_Yeah, tragic for a little girl who sees the world through songs and do funky magic, huh?" _bulkhead sighed. _"Melody stayed at the orphanage for two years before a woman came and adopted her-the nun described her as a young woman with short dark blue hair, glasses and dressed in a white suit. Even had an expensive car."_

Jazz frowned. "Eye color?"

"_The nun couldn't remember, but she does remember the woman having bright, vibrant eyes." _Bulkhead answered. _"Going off that, I can guess that she's from OZ, and might even be a Zodiac."_

"Yeah, Melody had a lot of good things to say about her." Jazz said. He spotted Armorhide driving up to the lake and waved him over as he talked to Bulkhead. "Anything else?"

"_Yeah, a guy just visited the place before me, asking for Melody as well in fact. I think OZ wants their cash cow back, Jazz."_

"It was only a matter of time. I'll take Melody back to Babylon. OZ may want her badly, but not enough to cause a public spectacle by attacking a high profile construction project."

That sounded hollow even to Jazz, but neither he nor Bulkhead wanted to point that out. OZ favored secrecy above all else, however, the Headmaster War showed how far they're willing to push in order to eliminate their enemies. If push came to shove, OZ could really attack and demolish the Babylon project in order to get Melody back if they really wanted to.

"Thanks for the help, Bulk. Head back to Babylon, Armorhide and I will meet up with you." Jazz said.

"_Got it. Bulkhead out."_

The call ended and Jazz looked at Armorhide and Melody, who were talking to each other quietly. It was a shame to break it up, since Armorhide seemed to actually be getting along with the girl now (Jazz did get some good footage of Melody teaching Armorhide how to sing the Sound of Music). He got to his feet and clapped his hands to get their attention.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to head back to Babylon. Important Autobot business and all that." Jazz said.

"Aw." Melody pouted. Armorhide smiled and patted her head.

"Don't worry, we can talk more on the way back." He said.

"Okay." Melody smiled.

Escorting Melody back to their vehicle forms, the two Autobots drove away from the park, driving past a couple that had been watching them from afar. They would've looked completely normal had their expressions not been stone cold.

"Sir, they're on the move." The woman said into her well-hidden earpiece.

"_Good. You two take the rest of the day off. We'll take it from here." _A silky voice said on the other end. _"We'll handle it from here."_

The Zodiac general Taurus smirked as he finally got some good news and turned to his technician team. "Activate Maya and send it out. We're getting our weapon back!"

XXXXXX

It was approaching dusk as the Autobots drove back to the Babylon construction site. Throughout the drive, Jazz had a growing sense of unease that was born from years of warfare as a Special Operations Member.

"Armorhide, be on your guard." Jazz said.

"Huh? What for?" Armorhide asked. "Is it the Cons?"

"I'm not sure, but I think something bad's going to come our-"

A red energy beam was shot at them from behind and hit the ground right next to them. Jazz and Armorhide swerved on the road, and Armorhide was careful not to jostle Melody in his front seat.

"What was that?" Armorhide exclaimed.

Jazz's rearview mirror glanced behind him and he immediately wished he didn't. Just a few miles behind them was a large machine floating in the air. It was shaped like a woman's head, its armor pitch black with ruby red eyes and it moved through the air faster than its size would imply.

"What the hell is that thing?" Armorhide yelled.

"Trouble, that's what." Jazz said. "And it's gearing up for another shot!"

The machine head's eyes began to glow before firing twin red beams at the Autobots. They avoided the blasts, but the explosion nearly threw them off the road this time. Jazz transformed to robot mode and landed on his feet, taking out his rifle. He fired two shots, but the machine head created a large energy barrier that deflected the photon blasts.

"Oh, come on!" Jazz groaned and turned to Armorhide. "Armorhide, get Melody back to the lab and come back with Bulkhead. We can't let this thing near the Babylon site!"

"Roger!" Armorhide said and swerved around to drive away while calming his passenger down. "Don't worry, Melody, I'll get you to safety."

"Okay…" Melody said, but then she began coughing violently.

"Whoa, are you okay?" He asked. He did a quick interior scan of her body and noticed that her temperature was rising. "Melody, are you alright? You're getting warmer."

"I'm…" Melody couldn't finish her sentence, but Armorhide knew she wasn't okay.

"Don't worry, I'll get you some help. Just stay with me!" Armorhide said and increased his speed.

XXXXXX

Chika knew something was wrong when Bulkhead paused in his lengthy explanation on building materials perfect for conducting different forms of energy. His expression darkened and he stood up, turning from construction worker to soldier in a heartbeat.

"Chika, I need you to bring a medical team to the entrance immediately." Bulkhead said as he ran over to the entrance.

"What?" Chika said, trying to match his large strides and failing. "Why? What's happened?"

"I'll explain later, but-"

"Bulkhead!"

Chika gasped as she saw Armorhide kneeling outside the center with a pale and sweaty Melody in his large hands. She quickly had her assistant call for the center's medical team and ran over to the distraught Autobot.

"What happened to her?" She asked.

"I don't know. She just started getting headaches and it got worse from there." Armorhide said.

"Armorhide, I got the call from Jazz." Bulkhead said. "Did a talos attack you?"

"I don't know what the hell it is, but it came out of nowhere and started attacking us. Jazz is fighting it right now."

"Then we better get moving." Bulkhead said. He could already see the smoke in the distance. "Come on!"

He transformed and drove off, leaving Armorhide behind. Seeing how worried he was for Melody, Chika gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of her." Chika said. "Now you go do your part."

Armorhide nodded and transformed to vehicle mode. He swerved around and sped away towards the battle, which was steadily getting closer to the Babylon center.

XXXXXX

Jazz wasn't having a good time fighting the talos. The machine was surprisingly fast for its size, and its concussive energy beams smacked him around more than he would like. Its movements were erratic and hard to predict, but something seemed off about it.

"Okay, since shooting at you won't work, then how about some good old fashioned close combat?" He growled.

Jazz took out his laser nunchunks and combined them to form his laser staff. The talos fired its eye beams and Jazz charged through its assault to run straight for the machine. He leapt up and swung his staff into the side of its massive head, only to have his weapon blocked by one of its shields. His staff bounced off the shield, and he was left vulnerable to another one of its energy beams. One beam hit him in the chest and blasted him into the ground.

Jazz hissed in pain as his armor burned from the attack. The talos hovered over him and prepared to finish him off when two laser blasts slammed into it.

"Jazz!" Bulkhead and Armorhide ran over to him, weapons out.

"Are you okay?" Armorhide asked as he helped Jazz up.

"It got me good, but I'll live." Jazz said, rubbing the smoking hole in his chest with a grimace. That one blast burned really deep, and another one of those would've been nasty. "This thing's no joke."

"No kidding." Bulkhead said, looking around at the ravaged area. "Hope we don't get blamed for this mess."

"Guys, look!" Armorhide pointed to the talos, which was flying towards the research center, completely ignoring them. "Don't even think about it, cog sucker!"

"Kid, wait!" Bulkhead tried to stop him, but Armorhide was already running at the talos.

Armorhide took out his plasma rifle and fired a barrage of plasma blasts at the talos. This time, instead of stopping, the talos moved faster.

"That thing's not going to stop." Bulkhead said as he and the others ran for it. "We need to slow it down!"

"On it!" Jazz fired his grappling hook at the talos and managed to get a hold, though it didn't even twitch and Jazz was getting dragged forward. "Scrap!"

The talos suddenly spun around and shot its twin beams, forcing Bulkhead and Armorhide to scatter. Armorhide's shoulder cannon extended to its full length and shot laser blasts at the talos, which it easily deflected. With Jazz still hanging on to its side, it approached Armorhide and prepared to fire, but Bulkhead rushed it from behind and changed his hand into a wrecking ball, shooting it at the talos's underside. The powerful blow smashed into the talos's propulsion system and knocked it off balance, staggering it.

"Now we're in business!" Jazz said and started shooting at the staggered machine.

XXXXXX

"I don't understand what's going on." Chika said, shaking her head. "Her temperature just keeps rising."

Chika wasted no time in taking the ailing Melody to the medical center to treat the girl, but it was hard when she had no idea what was going on with her. The girl suddenly developed a strong fever and her condition was starting to get worse by the minute.

'Her blood tests came out fine, and she's definitely not sick. Something else is happening to her!' Chika thought.

She heard a loud explosion outside and looked out the window to see the Autobots still fighting that oddly shaped talos. They were shooting nonstop at it, but their attacks weren't doing enough damage to make a difference. And with each successful hit, Melody's whimpers grew.

A stray thought passed through Chika's mind and she didn't want to even consider it, but as she looked between the rogue talos and Melody, that idea somehow became more credible despite her wishes.

"Oh no…"

XXXXXX

The talos crashed into a tree, brought down low by another blow from Bulkhead's wrecking ball. It shot its twin beams at him, but Jazz peppered its left wide with photon blasts, not letting up in his assault for a second.

"Keep it up, guys! It's almost down!" Jazz said.

The talos struggled to focus on one of them as they all attacked at the same time, but it was slowly being overwhelmed, and for a moment, it looked like they would eventually beat it. Then came the bad news.

"_Jazz?" _It was Chika's voice, calling through Jazz's comm channel. _"Jazz, if you can hear me, you need to stop fighting it!"_

"Say what?" Armorhide yelled. "Why the hell not? We almost have that thing scrapped!"

"_It's Melody," _The Autobots paused. _"That talos is connected to her somehow. Every time you attack it, Melody's condition gets worse. She's actually flinching in pain every time you attack it. If you destroy it…"_

'No, that's not possible!' Armorhide thought angrily.

"Another one of OZ's pet projects," Bulkhead snarled. "The bastards!"

Sensing a lull in their attacks, the talos uprighted itself and fired its twin beams at Bulkhead and Armorhide, blasting them away. As they crashed into the street and park, the talos turned to face Jazz and blasted him away as well, singing the armor on his chest with a beam that hit too close to him.

XXXXXX

Even through the agonizing pain, Melody could hear Chika's worried voice calling out to the Autobots. She could barely move because of the pain, but now that it was beginning to fade, she was able to think clearly now. Melody knew exactly what was attacking her new friends, and it wasn't going to stop until they were all dead. And Melody didn't want that.

It was one of the many terrible machines OZ built around her powers; they were talos made to be controlled psychically by her, drawing upon the ambient energy she gathered as a power source to operate itself. This talos was the Maya, named after the goddess of illusions, the latest and strongest of the previous models constructed. If let loose to run wild, then people were going to get hurt, and she didn't want that to happen.

Melody slowly got up from her bed, ignoring Chika's cries for her not to move.

"Melody, don't, it's too dangerous." Chika said, grabbing her arm to keep her back.

"But…Armorhide and the others are in danger." Melody said. "I have to help them."

"You can't go out there into the middle of that chaos." Chika said sternly. "You'll be killed!"

"I don't care! I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of me!" Melody screamed.

Chika screamed as she was blown back by a wave of power that burst from Melody. As she hit the wall, Melody used her chance to run out of the room and down the hall, hoping that she wasn't too late in saving her friends.

XXXXXX

Armorhide's shoulder cannon snapped off as he hit the ground hard. He rolled onto his back and felt the ground shake from Bulkhead's large form crashing into the dirt, thrown quite a distance by a blast he took for Jazz. Armorhide got to his knees and held a hand to his left shoulder, which was smoking and sizzling.

'Its attacks are getting stronger.' He thought.

When the Autobots stopped blasting it around, the talos didn't hesitate to return the favor in kind. It countered with more powerful energy attacks that actually started melting their armor and blew holes in the ground. The three Autobots could barely dodge as a barrage of concussive beams tossed them around the park like ragdolls.

Jazz lost an arm and Armorhide took a blast to the shoulder that nearly blew off his arm. Bulkhead looked like he took a hard blow to the head and was still a bit dazed. They were getting destroyed, but they couldn't do anything lest Melody get killed along with the machine.

Armorhide tensed up when the talos, Maya, turned his way and slowly hovered over to him, charging up large amounts of energy for a killing strike. Armorhide scowled and got to his feet, drawing his energo-axe. He wasn't going to die on his knees like some Decepticon lackey!

The Maya's eyes glowed bright red and fired its beams at the Autobot. However, before they could hit Armorhide, the beams were deflected by an invisible force that sent them sailing off into the air.

"Stop it!" A young voice cried out.

Armorhide looked up and saw Melody weakly making her way towards him. "Melody, what are you doing?"

"I can't let it hurt you, Armorhide." Melody said. "It came for me…to take me back."

"No, that's not happening!" He shouted.

"I'm sorry this had to happen, Armorhide, but it's okay. I had a lot of fun with you." She said. "It was the best day of…my life…"

Melody's resilience finally ran out and she collapsed to the ground. Armorhide tried to run over to her, but the Maya shot a beam in front of him that knocked him back. He landed on his side and watched as four metal tendrils slithered out of the top of the talos's head and wrapped around Melody to pull her into its cockpit.

"Melody…" Armorhide tried to reach out to her, but his injuries finally caught up with him, and he lost consciousness.

XXXXXX

"…Hey, I think he's coming to."

"Don't crowd over him, Jazz. Give him some space."

Armorhide woke up to the loud voices of his teammates that already made his aching head hurt more. He opened his eyes to see Jazz and Bulkhead standing over him. Like him, they looked terrible, still harboring the wounds from their battle.

"Jazz, Bulkhead…where…?" He groaned.

"We're in Babylon's talos storage hangar. We brought you here after that stupid piece of scrap flew away." Jazz said. "Dr. Tanaka was kind enough to lend us one of the talos transports to get you here fast enough."

Armorhide slowly sat up and grunted from the stinging pain in his shoulder. "Melody…is she…?"

"Gone." Bulkhead said softly. "That talos took her away before we could do anything to help. I'm sorry, kid."

Armorhide gritted his teeth and held his head in his hands. Melody was gone and was now at the mercy of those monsters who were going to do who knows what to her, and there was nothing he could do. Jazz looked away from the pain stricken cadet and looked to the night sky.

'I'm sorry, Melody. We should've done more to keep you safe.' He thought. 'But I swear that we'll get you back…wherever you are.'

XXXXXX

Libra ran her fingers through the sleeping girl's hair as she looked at the girl's face. Despite the mental stress she went through, Melody's condition stabilized once the Maya brought her back to their base. Now she was sleeping, safely within her care again.

"It's about damn time that thing brought her back." Taurus huffed, glaring down at the girl. "We almost lost the talos to those walking tin cans. As it is, the repair costs are making my teeth ache."

"Keep your voice down, you moron." Libra said firmly, her dark indigo eyes gleaming in the dim lighting of the room. "Come, we'll talk outside."

The two Zodiac walked out into the hallway, where they continued their conversation. "So when do we continue with the project? We have five more units that need to be field tested and that girl put us behind schedule." Taurus said.

"There will be no more tests. The Genesis line is being discontinued, effective immediately." Libra said in her normally calm voice.

"What?!" Taurus roared. "What the hell are you talking about? Who had the balls to go and do that?"

"I did, with some help from Ophiuchus." Libra replied, not backing down in the face of her partner's rage. "That girl is a breed of human the world hasn't seen in hundreds of years. Those experimental talos you've built put the girl's life at risk on more than one occasion and we can't lose someone as valuable as her."

"I've spent thousands of dollars keeping this project going and you're just going to throw it away? Think of the resources we spent making those fucking machines!"

"I'm sorry, Taurus, but you need to see the bigger picture. All the time we've wasted building talos that only channel any pain they feel into the girl's body, would've been better used working on testing the limits of the girl's power and finding others like her." You're welcome to air your grievances to Ophiuchus, but she agrees with me as well.'

Taurus simply scowled and pushed past her to march away and scowl in a corner. Libra shook her head and looked back into the room to see Melody still sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Libra was understating Melody's usefulness to OZ. Melody was indeed a rare breed of human that hadn't walked the face of the planet since the so-called "Age of Wonders"; she was a member of a group of humans who could manipulate the universal foci-quintessence. Melody's existence signified a change, and Libra would be damned if she allowed her to die such a pitiful death because of their greed.

She will raise this girl to not only become loyal to OZ, but to strive to change the world for people like her. The other Zodiac might stray amidst a blood-soaked sea of conquest, but Libra will never forget her mission: to create a better future for mankind through forced evolution, through enforced change. That was her purpose in life, and she was going to see it completed no matter what.

* * *

**I had an easier time getting this chapter out than the last one. We get a glimpse at the other Zodiac while the Autobots take the L for the day. Next chapter ****the Autobots get caught up in human affairs as they clash with a growing danger on the world stage-Karaba. Be sure to check out the Transformers Titan ****website on Wordpress, and go see my original fantasy story, Fantasia: Red Dawn, on Fictionpress. Thanks for reading, please leave a review, and Happy ****Halloween to you all! **


	13. Convoy

Chapter 13-Convoy

"…_And in other news today, ground was broken on the site of the new solar power array in Zona Arida following on a design from Autobot engineer Wheeljack. Construction is set to last…"_

"Give me a break." Jane Lehnsherr grumbled as she switched off the news. "Solar power, energon mining…those bastards would throw a bunch of aliens a national parade, but would shoot people like us from their own planet on first sight. This makes me so fucking sick."

Sue looked at her sister nervously, rubbing at her arm. Jane was a beautiful woman, just like their mother, with long wavy indigo hair and a toned, athletic frame that most women would kill for, but she had a hair trigger temper that flared up at the most unexpected times. This issue with the Autobots and the praise they were getting from the entirety of Osea made Jane more irritable than normal.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Osean government set those bastards on us in the name of national security or some shit like that."

"They wouldn't really come after us, would they?" Sue asked. "I mean, that'd go against the treaty they have with us, right?"

"Knowing the president, he'd find some way to have the Autobots torch us." Jane said bitterly, glaring at her younger sister.

Sue was only a year younger than Jane, and they shared their mother's natural beauty. Whereas Jane had fair skin and long hair, Sue inherited their father's darker skin tone and had short brown hair that rested just past her ears. She wasn't as athletically toned as Jane, but she still had that lithe figure that was accentuated by her skintight costume she wore on missions. Both sisters took pride in how good they looked, being strong and beautiful as espers of their caliber should be.

"Do you think we can take them if they do come after us?" Sue asked, making Jane snort.

"Please, our dad's the Master of Magnetism. Of course we can take 'em." Jane said. "I'd like to see those filthy naturals just try and set those tin cans on us."

"Don't let your confidence turn into arrogance, sweetie."

Jane and Sue sat up and turned to see their mother standing in the doorway. "Mom!"

Magda Lehnsherr, second in command of Karaba and second wife of Dreyas, smiled at her daughters and entered the room. "Time to put your game faces on, girls. Your father and Fauntleroy just finished finalizing the plans for our next operation."

"Is it going to be an exciting one, mom?" Jane asked eagerly.

"You bet, and this time, we'll be dealing a serious blow to the Osean government itself." Magda smirked.

XXXXXX

Despite how many saw the rank of Prime as, the position had multiple roles associated with it. A Prime was many things; a religious figure, a symbol of racial unity, commander in chief, military leader, and so on. Optimus knew that as Prime he had to be a politician as well as a commander, but fighting of war sort of puts a hold on political dealings. Honestly, Optimus knew a good number of bots who were better at the political game than him, including Elita-1 of all people.

But it was a necessary evil that could make or break an operation. So far, things on Terra had been going hot and cold in the past six months, and Optimus remained diligent in monitoring the humans' response to his team's actions and presence. So far, things were looking good on the PR front despite the debacle in Edo. At least things were doing good in relation to his dealings with President Flagg and Queen Tyr.

"So far, Optimus, the public's opinion of the Autobots is looking very positive. Senator Russo isn't too fond of you, though."

"You and I both know we can't please everyone, Mr. President." Optimus said, shaking his head. "Even with the PR from everything we've promised and done thus far, I doubt they'll ever get used to us."

The Osean Commander-in-Chief laughed. "At least we can be honest about it. At any rate, I'm glad I've got one less secret to worry about."

"As do I, Mr. President." The Autobot leader agreed. "In the meantime, we both have jobs to do."

"Don't I know it." President Flagg smiled humorlessly. "Until next time, Prime."

The line cut off and Optimus leaned back in his chair, letting his broad shoulders sag with a tired sigh.

Prowl, who had been looking over some data reports from Teletran-1, gave Prime a mirthless smile. "They never said this job was easy."

"The most worthwhile ones rarely are." Optimus said. "I'm starting to see why Ultra Magnus avoids taking up the leadership role."

The intercom on his desk chimed. "**Alert: Incoming priority one call from Walter Barnett." **

"Patch it through, Teletran." Optimus said.

Barnett's face appeared on the screen and he did not look happy. _"Prime, we have a situation."_

"What is it, Agent Barnett? Decepticons?" Prowl asked.

"_No, but something just as serious." _Barnett shifted in his seat and hissed in pain. _"Damn…"_

"Agent Barnett, are you alright?" Optimus asked, concerned.

"_I'm fine. My team and I just had a run-in with some espers with a chip on their shoulder. We chased them off with some hard ordnance, but our transports are toast. Which brings me to our topic at hand."_

The screen changed to show a large crate holding a clear blue torus shaped object inside that was the size of a car engine. _"This is the Helios Reactor. It's an experimental power source I was transporting to the East Cost for testing." _

"What would a bunch of espers want with something that hasn't even been tested yet?" Prowl inquired.

"_Maybe they seek to turn it into an untested weapon of mass destruction. The Helios Reactor generates huge amounts of recyclable energy. If it's damaged, the fall out could be devastating to this state and the two next door." _Barnett said. _"Please, Prime, if you can, fire up a ground bridge so we can transport this safely to the coast."_

"Agent Barnett, if your reactor is as volatile as you say it is, then taking it through the ground bridge risks it being damaged within the vortex. If that happens, then we risk irradiating all fifty states and beyond." Optimus said.

Barnett sighed and rubbed the back of his head. _"Then do you have any other suggestions?"_

Optimus rubbed his chin in thought. "As a matter of fact, I do."

XXXXXX

Walter Barnett had to admit that Prime's prime was rather ingenious in execution. Since trying to transport the Helios Reactor by ground bridge won't work without severe risk, transporting the device by ground would be more efficient. What's more, Optimus himself would be leading the ground team for the first part of the plan, disguised as civilian vehicles instead of military convoys. Optimus would be transporting the reactor within his trailer, guarded by Bulkhead, Ironhide, and Mirage. Walter would masquerade as Prime's civilian driver for appearances sake.

Having never ridden inside an Autobot before (which was funny, since he spent six months socializing with them) riding inside Optimus's vehicle mode was a bit of a surreal experience. He knew of the scanning capabilities of the cybertronians, able to duplicate the shape and appearance of any vehicle of similar mass and size, as he had seen Sideswipe and Mirage do once upon arriving to Terra. That didn't mean it was any less amazing to see the perfect replica of a dashboard, leather seats, rubber tires and even personalized decos.

Out of curiosity he asked Wheeljack how the process worked, and all he got from the slew of techno-babble was that their bodies were programmed to change shape, color, and appearance on command. The universe really was a strange place.

"Ratchet, we are en route to our destination. Do you have our location?" Optimus asked.

"_We're tracking you, Optimus." _Ratchet said over the comm. He was monitoring the transport with Sparkplug and Longarm in the Ark. _"If everything goes well, you should reach the rendezvous point in about an hour, less if you don't run into road trouble."_

"Understood." Optimus said.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Prime." Barnett said, leaning back in the rather comfortable driver's seat. "You're saving my bacon here."

"I'm proud to be of service, Agent Barnett." Optimus replied.

"The eggheads at the coastal research center are relying on us to get that reactor to them. If they can finalize its design, then we're on the first step to a nation-wide renewable energy network."

"I thought our treaty was to provide you with the means to achieve that."

"You said it yourself, Prime. Humanity's got to stand on its own two feet in the future. You're just providing a helping hand." Barnett said, leaning on the window. By chance he caught something in the rearview mirror-up in the sky was a silver airship that was flying over them. "Hold up…that's the airship that torched my last convoy!"

"Prime, we've got four cars at our rear." Ironhide said.

Further back behind them, four black armored jeeps approached the team and quickly surrounded Bulkhead, cutting him off from the rest of the group.

"Scrap, the bastards are cutting me off." Bulkhead growled. "Feeling a bit constricted without the use of my fists here, boss."

"Maintain vehicular cover unless absolutely necessary, Bulkhead." Optimus ordered. "Agent Barnett-"

"I've never see these guys before. It was just that airship that blew my transport out of the sky." Barnett said.

"_I'm not detecting any Decepticons signals near you." _Sparkplug said. _"I have no idea what you're dealing with, Prime."_

One of the jeeps broke out of formation to speed up to the front to cut Mirage off, decreasing his speed. A second jeep drove up along the trailer to drive next to Optimus. The window slid down and a man wearing black and silver combat armor pointed a grenade launcher at Barnett's head.

"Pull over!" The bandit ordered.

"What the hell?" Barnett exclaimed.

Up in the airship, the field commander leading the operation analyzed the formation and nodded, before saying into the radio, "Stop their engines."

Just as the gunman was about to pull the trigger, Optimus made a sharp turn that knocked the jeep off balance, making the gunman misfire. The grenade exploded near one of Prime's wheels but didn't even touch the rubber.

"Autobots, our assailants are human. Use minimal force to neutralize them." Optimus commanded over their internal comm. "Disarmament only."

A second jeep tried to head Prime off on the right, but Mirage blocked them off, slamming his fender into them and making them slam into the rocky slope of the hill they were driving past. Mirage didn't even try to hide his laugh as the jeep flipped over.

Barnett looked outside and saw another jeep driving up along the trailer with a man climbing onto the coupling. "Prime, bear right!"

Optimus veered sharply to the right and knocked the jeep right off the road and down the rocky slope. The other man was still able to hold onto the trailer's coupling and started working on detaching it from Optimus. Barnett cursed and opened the door to slowly climb along the edge of Prime's vehicle mode reach the trailer. It was gut-wrenching giving the speeds they were driving, but Barnett kept his eyes off the rapidly moving road and focused on his target, the yahoo who thought he could get away with government property.

"I wouldn't do that if I were-whoa!" Barnett ducked under a lightning bolt that was fired from the man's palm. "An esper?!"

"Get outta my way, natural!" The man growled before sending another bolt at Barnett's head.

Barnett grabbed the man's arm and twisted it behind his back, spinning the esper around so that he was being held over the side by the back of his armor. He made sure to keep the esper's hands pointed away from him as he interrogated the bandit.

"You better tell me everything I want to know!" Barnett said, earning a laugh from the esper.

"Or what? You're gonna throw me-" A passing tree branch slammed into the esper, smacking him right out of Barnett's grasp.

"That wasn't my plan, but okay." Barnett grumbled and climbed back into the driver's seat.

"Barnett, are you alright?" Optimus asked.

"I'm fine, but the guy who tried to steal the trailer was an esper." Barnett said. "This might be more dangerous than we thought."

Onboard the airship, Magda Lehnsherr stood in the loading bay with her two daughters, all wearing a formfitting bodysuit that was designed to resist the powerful effects of her powers. Brushing aside her rose colored locks, Magda reached for the ship's external radio to speak to the convoy.

"_Attention, humans," _Magda began. _"This is Magda Lehnsherr speaking. I'm ordering you to relinquish the cargo. Do so now and we will let you leave peacefully. Resist and I will kill each and every one of you for wasting my time."_

"You must be senile if you think I'm just going to hand this over to you." Barnett said, trying to sound brave, though he was inwardly concerned about how this mission was turning out.

Karaba was a powerful terrorist group that fought for esper superiority over humans. Dreyas Lehnsherr and his family were among the group's most powerful members and the Autobots really didn't need Karaba on their long list of enemies right now. Ironhide especially was cursing his luck, thanks to the hand he had in destroying that Karaba outpost in Azadistan.

"Tell me something, Maggy," Barnett continued. "What's the market price for an experimental reactor?"

"_Who said we were going to sell it?" _Magda said. _"You people always preach about using technology for the betterment of mankind, but all you do is make weapons of war."_

"And you're any different?"

"_At least I'm up front about it, human." _She spat.

One of the remaining jeeps tried to circle around Mirage to get to the trailer, but Mirage did a quick 360 as he slammed into the side of the jeep, knocking two off its wheels off the road. The imbalance caused the jeep to tip over and rolled along the ground, causing another jeep to crash into it and send both vehicles careening off the road.

"We humans may create weapons of war, but that doesn't mean we're out of the race yet." Barnett said.

"_Optimus, two miles ahead is your destination. You can lose them inside the highway tunnel." _Ratchet said.

"Copy that, Ratchet." Optimus said. "Autobots, tighten formation!"

The road slowly came within view of a train track, with a cargo training running along it. The Autobots formed a close-knit circle around each other as they ran adjacent along the train. As soon as they entered the tunnel, Ironhide spun around and deployed two rockets from his headlights, blasting apart the tunnel entrance and blocking it with debris.

"Happy trails, dimwits!" Ironhide laughed before driving away.

XXXXXX

"Did that pickup truck just fire two missiles?" Sue asked.

"When the hell did they start shelling those out on the open market?" Jane blinked. She looked to the tall, handsome man next to her, taking note of his shocked expression. "Adonis, what's up?"

"That truck," Adonis muttered. "I think I've seen it before."

"Really?" Jane said skeptically. "What, you see it in a commercial or something?"

Adonis wasn't sure, but Magda's voice cut in before he could come to a conclusion. "Focus up, people. They're coming out."

The airship approached the other side of the tunnel, where the Autobots excited with the train and split apart from it at a fork in the canyon they drove through. Magda had the airship pilot increase the vessel's speed to fly ahead of the convoy.

"Adonis," Magda turned to her heavy hitter. "Wipe them out!"

"Yes, sir." Adonis said.

The airship hovered in place over the road and Adonis ran over to the landing hatch as it opened up. He jumped out of the airship and descended upon the approaching convoy, glowing vein-like lines of gold appearing on his body. He felt a heat burn in his lower abdomen and Adonis surrendered to the familiar feeling, allowing that heat to explode from his body.

His body exploded in a burst of light, changing his form from that of a normal man into a golden giant that crashed into the ground. He stood up, unharmed, and faced the approaching vehicles, ready to cause a massacre.

Focusing on the red and blue truck, Adonis gave a screeching, metallic cry and charged at it. It never registered in his mind that the truck was not a normal truck at all until he saw the truck transforming, reshaping itself into a taller bipedal form just as he threw a punch at it. The towering robot that was formerly the truck met his charge with one of his own and retaliated with a punch as well.

Their firsts met and a loud bang ran through the canyon like thunder.

XXXXXX

Optimus knew that it was only a matter of time before they would have to abandon their ruse, though he wished it wasn't with Karaba. He was barely able to warn Barnett before transforming with the man still inside his cab, depositing the human into his left hand while throwing a punch with his right hand.

The two giants' fists met with a tremendous bang, like a thunderclap, and both combatants felt their arms vibrate from the collision. Optimus spun around and kicked Adonis in the face, knocking him into the countryside.

"Are you alright, Agent Barnett?" Optimus asked the human, who sat woozy in his other arm.

"Ask me again in five minutes." Barnett panted. Being in the middle of a mass of shifting parts that became the Autobot leader was mind numbing and terrifying. It was such a disorienting experience and he thought he'd lose a limb if he moved even a finger.

Optimus deposited Barnett on a nearby rock and faced Adonis, who recovered from the kick and was ready for another go. Bulkhead drove up next to him and transformed, while Ironhide and Mirage hung back.

"Better stand clear, Barnett. It's going to get hairy in a few seconds." Bulkhead warned.

"No need to tell me twice." Barnett said and looked up at the airship hovering right over them. "Someone needs to keep an eye on the vulture in the sky."

XXXXXX

Smoke rose from Magda's shoulders as she saw the Autobots on the monitor. "Autobots." She hissed.

"That explains the cooky weapons." Sue said.

Magda said nothing, glaring down at the four Autobots down below. Her glowing orange eyes were focused especially on Ironhide, recognizing him from the security footage from the trashed base in Azadistan.

"So the Autobots are Osea's dogs after all." Jane snorted. "Told ya so, Sue."

"Not now, Jane. Mom's not in the mood." Sue whispered.

'If the Autobots were hiding in plain sight to transport the cargo, then is there anything even inside the trailer?' Magda thought and looked to the airship pilot. "Run a scan on the trailer down there. Something seems off."

The pilot, who had green scaly skin and a lizard-like head, nodded and had the ship run a 3D wire frame scan on the trailer and the crate inside. The system was designed to monitor objects via a sonic pulse that reflected off physical objects, but it ran through the trailer with no interference.

"No objects detected inside, ma'am."

"What?! Where the hell is it, then?" Jane growled. "Stupid fucking robots with their fancy robo-powers!"

Sue tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe they switched out earlier?"

Magda narrowed her eyes. "Yes…that's possible. And the only time they could've done that was…"

"Inside the tunnel." Jane said, eyes wide. "By the train!"

"We'll go catch it, mom!" Sue said.

Magda looked down at the battle, where Adonis was fighting Optimus and Bulkhead. As tall and powerful as he was, Adonis just barely matched Optimus in brute strength, and the fight was made harder by the assistance of Bulkhead. Adonis was strong, but not unbeatable.

"Sue, you go down there and help Adonis. Thomas, change our course. We have a train to catch." Magda said.

Jane glared at Sue, who stuck her tongue out at her. "You lucky bitch."

XXXXXX

Barnett knew the jig was up when he saw the airship change its course to fly in the same direction the train went. "Prime, I think they caught onto us!" He yelled to Optimus.

Optimus deflected a punch from Adonis, allowing Bulkhead to slam his fist into the side of the giant's head. "Ironhide, Mirage go after the train! Don't let them get the cargo!"

"On it, Prime! Come on, kid, we-" Ironhide looked to see that Mirage had already gone and he grumbled under his breath. "Damn brat thinks he's Batman."

Ironhide transformed and sped away towards the train tracks. Bulkhead and Optimus turned back to Adonis.

"Looks like it's just us now." Bulkhead grinned and grinded his knuckles together. "Lucky us."

"Bulkhead, look out!"

Barnett's callout came just as a huge fireball exploded into Bulkhead's back. The green Autobot hit the ground hard, his back smoking from the fiery blast. Optimus moved to help him but Adonis got in his way and pushed him back.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Bulkhead groaned.

Falling from the airship, Sue flew down to earth, her body surrounded by a fiery aura almost too bright to look at directly. Her entire body had changed, and it was as if her physical form was composed of magma, her skin cracked like molten lava. She slammed into the ground, which immediately started to melt from the intense heat she was giving off.

"Hi there!" Sue said. "You ready to fight?"

"Fight? You?" Bulkhead grunted and got back to his feet. "Girl, I'm the last person you wanna fight."

"No," Sue smirked. "I'm the last person _you _want to fight."

The ground under Bulkhead suddenly burst open like a volcano and he was barely able to jump aside to avoid the geyser of lava spewing from the ground. He gritted his teeth and charged at Sue, converting his hand into his wrecking ball. Sue leapt back as the large blunt weapon slammed into the ground and shot a fireball at his face.

Bulkhead cursed as his vision was filled with orange flames and intense heat. He stumbled back and took another blast to the chest before a swing of his wrecking ball chased her off him.

"Scrap, that hurts." Bulkhead hissed. His face plate was scorched and blackened, but he could still see, though the stinging pain of his burns was starting to tick him off. "All right, then. Let's play, little girl!"

XXXXXX

Optimus's plan had been based on the assumption that whoever tried to take the reactor the first time was more than prepared to combat military forces head on, making it too dangerous for one transport to carry the cargo the entire way. So he decided to have the reactor get switched with another, faster method of transportation and for the Autobots to act as the decoy afterwards. Had Karaba attacked the Autobots after they made the switch, the plan would have gone off without a hitch. Instead, the Autobots were going to have to fight hard to keep Karaba from getting their hands on a potential weapon.

The Karaba airship easily tracked and pursed the train down the line. Each car had a small team of Army soldiers waiting for any dangers that might head their way, however no one factored in the airship. They were all fully armed, but against an equally prepared group of combat trained espers, they were sorely underpowered.

"Lower the ship above the middle train car! The track is in a straight line for at least another mile from here." Jane told the pilot. She took out a large cannon and hefted it onto her shoulder before taking aim at the train. Making sure she had a target lock, she fired a large warhead that burrowed into one of the train cars.

Jane flicked a switch on the launcher and the warhead released a powerful electrical surge throughout the metal framework of the train. The soldiers standing guard over the reactor and the two following train cars were given a violent shock that knocked them out immediately.

"All hostiles disable, sir." The pilot announced.

Magda nodded and turned to her daughter. "Jane, get down there and detach the cars."

"Got it." Jane rolled her shoulders and waited for the airship to get low enough before jumping on top of the target car. Her hands glowed with red energy as she used her powers to shoot a red energy bolt at the coupling, shattering it and allowing the five cars to detach from the train's rear. The car rolled to a stop and she smirked. "Too easy."

"I beg to differ." A voice said.

"Huh?" Jane jumped as a large fifteen foot tall robot suddenly appeared right behind her, his blaster pointed at her.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart." Mirage smirked.

Magda snarled and raised her hand, a fiery aura surrounding her body as she prepared to take out Mirage. However a stray plasma blast was fired dangerously close to the airship.

"What was that?" Magda yelled.

"We're under attack, sir!" The pilot said. "On our twelve!"

Magda looked to the canyon wall and saw another Autobot running along the side. It was Ironhide, who was covering for Mirage the best he could. The same Autobot who destroyed Karaba's Azadistan base.

"Keep an eye on Jane, Juan." Magda said, her eyes glowing bright orange. "I'll take care of this one myself."

Magda raised her arms and shot two large fire blasts at the red Autobot. Ironhide changed into vehicle mode to avoid the powerful attacks as they slammed into the canyon wall, blasting apart large chunks of rock that rained down on him. Magda didn't let up in her assault as she shot a barrage of flaming blasts that pulverized rock and dirt in a single shot.

Back on the train, mirage held Jane at gunpoint, not taking his eyes off her for a second. "I can't spend my day holding your hand, lady, so I'm only going to ask you once to back off and leave this train alone."

"Go fuck a toaster, robot." Jane spat. "You talk big, but you don't even know what my powers are, do you?"

"Don't know, don't care." Mirage said.

Jane smiled. "That's your first mistake."

Her hands glowed with red energy as she clenched her fingers and the metal panels under Mirage's feet suddenly burst up into his face. Mirage yelled as sharp metal fragments dug into his face, almost tearing into his eye. Jane snapped her fingers and Mirage lost his balance in a manner he couldn't understand, falling back to get himself between in the opening between the cars.

This was Jane's power. In contrast to the rest of her family's flashy powers, she had a power that was more subtle. Jane could affect reality by channeling her power through energy bolts, manipulating the probability around her. Essentially, it was to cause bad luck to varying degrees. If she really pushed herself, she could cause things like turning water into blood or shatter tanks like glass by making them fall apart, so turning metal beams into metallic snakes was nothing to her.

"What the hell?!" Mirage grunted as the large metal snake wrapped around him, restricting his arms. Realizing he was in a bad position, Mirage raised his blast, the only thing that he could move, to point it at Jane.

"Not so fast!" Jane sang as she fired a bolt at his blaster. As soon as it was hit, the weapon malfunctioned, and when he pulled the trigger, the blaster exploded.

"Slag!" Mirage hissed as pieces of his gun were embedded into his hand.

Jane grinned. "You should've known better than to fuck with Karaba, robot. Now you're gonna learn just how nasty we can be."

XXXXXX

Bulkhead did his best to avoid the globs of lava being thrown at him. Fighting Sue was harder than he thought, and the growing amount of scorch marks and burns on his body showed that.

It was as if the earth itself was her weapon. Aside from turning into a living fireball, she could also turn solid rock into molten lava and control it as easy as she could shoot it. Bulkhead felt the heat of her flames even with his thick armor and it burned…a lot.

"What's the matter, big boy?" Sue teased as she flew circles around him on jets of flame, taking pot shots at his chest and back. "You not used to fighting a tiny girl like me?"

"I have a friend who's smaller," Bulkhead growled. "But she packs a hell of a stronger punch than you."

Sue scowled and landed on the ground, strengthening her connection to the earth. A wave of her hand melted the ground behind Bulkhead and she had two long clumps of lava grab hold of Bulkhead's hands to pull them behind him. Bulkhead yelled from the searing pain of having red hot lava encase his hands and struggled to get free, but he had no leverage to move.

"Look, big boy, it's nothing personal, okay? I'm just doing this because humans are meanies who deserve everything they get for what they've done to our kind." Sue said, floating a foot away from Bulkhead's face.

"What you're doing is terrorism." Bulkhead said.

Yeah, but have you ever heard of a bloodless revolution? Myself and my big friend over there," She pointed to Adonis, who was still fighting Optimus. "We're fighting for espers. You know, the people the police shoot up every week like it's hunting season? Men, women, children, it doesn't matter to them. They have no problems killing us, so why should we show them mercy?"

"If you think like that, then why are you talking to me?" He asked.

"Because you're an alien who's only seen one side of the story. If you saw things from Karaba's perspective, then I think we can be friends and avoid killing each other." Sue smiled up at him.

"I know what Karaba is," He said. "They're no different from the Cons. Starting out as revolutionaries before turning into conquerors."

Sue sighed and shook her head. "Looks like you're going to be stubborn about this. Oh well, I tried."

"Not hard enough!"

Bulkhead roared and used every ounce of his strength to pull his arms forward. He broke his lava bonds and changed his hand into his wrecking ball, slamming it inches away from Sue. Startled, she stumbled back, allowing Bulkhead to grab her flaming body and throw her at the mountainside. Sue changed the rock into lava so she had a soft cushion to land in.

Angry, Sue hurled blasts of lava at Bulkhead, but the Autobot shot them all down with his arm blaster. Sue shot herself forward, her body a mass of flames as she aimed for the center of Bulkhead's chest. Bulkhead smirked before tossing something at her from his left hand. It was a grenade.

At the speed she was going, Sue had no time to react as she flew straight into the grenade as it detonated.

XXXXXX

Optimus gave a grunt of exertion as he forced Adonis back, pushing his arm hydraulics to the limit as he punched the esper in his golden chest with enough force to lift Adonis off his feet. Adonis stumbled back and Optimus landed another punch to his face that sent him crashing into the canyon wall.

"_Optimus, Ironhide and Mirage have reached the train, but they're engaging the enemy!" _Ratchet said. _"They need backup."_

"Copy that, Ratchet." Optimus turned to Bulkhead. "Bulkhead, watch over Agent Barnett. I'm going to help Ironhide and Mirage."

"Sure thing, boss." Bulkhead said, waving Prime off as he changed to vehicle mode and drove away at full speed. Bulkhead slumped down on a boulder and groaned. "Ugh, I feel like I had to cook out with the sun and lost."

Barnett snorted. "Welcome to the mid-west, Bulkhead."

XXXXXX

Mirage struggled in the snake's increasingly tightening grip, which started denting his armor from the sheer force of its constriction. As if being laughed at by the human witch wasn't embarrassing enough. With only one hand free and damaged, he realized something and quickly went invisible in the snake's grasp.

"That trick again? The snake still has you, idiot." Jane laughed. "Going invisible won't change a thing. What good is that going to do for you?"

"This!"

Unseen by Jane, Mirage unclipped a concussion bomb from his waist and threw it at her. Jane saw it and brought up a piece of sheet metal for protection as the bomb exploded.

"Shit!" Jane, though protected from the brunt of the explosion wave, was blasted off the train by the concussion wave and she used her powers to soften the ground into sand that she landed on. Now covered in dirty and sporting a painful headache, Jane could only watch enraged as the trained moved on without her. "You son of a bitch!"

"Happy trails!" Mirage said as he reached up and tore the metal snake's head off with what strength he could muster. Tossing its body aside, Mirage pulled himself back onto the train, sore and annoyed. "I hope Ironhide's having a better time than me."

XXXXXX

"Scrap!" Ironhide felt a fireball hit one of his tires. He tried to maintain traction, but two more fiery blasts from Magda blew apart the ground he was driving on, destroying the rocky path and making it crumble.

Magda smirked as he saw Ironhide tumble downhill with the landslide, converting to robot mode as he struggled to avoid being buried alive. She slowly floating down to him atop invisible pulsations of microwave energy as she regarded him coldly.

"I remember you, Autobot. You destroyed one of my bases in Azadistan." She said coldly. "You caused Karaba a lot of trouble."

"Yeah, we have a thing for pissing people off." Ironhide growled. Magda shot a fire blast into his chest that blew him backwards.

"It took a long time to fix the damage you caused for my people. You almost ruined everything!" Magda hissed. "But I'll take my debt in your blood!"

Magda raised her hands and charged up a superhot ball of concentrated microwaves, emitting enough heat energy to melt solid metal on contact. Ironhide raised his cannons to attack her before she could turn him into molten slag, but fortunately for him, he didn't have to face death today.

A truck horn from behind was all the warning Magda got before an ion blast slammed into her microwave field, almost knocking her out of the air. Optimus Prime arrived on the scene in vehicle mode, changing forms and pointing his ion blaster at Magda.

"Stand down, Magda. Your operation has failed!" He said.

"It's not over until one of us is dead, alien!" Magda snarled and charged up for another powerful attack. However, she paused when she got a call on her radio.

"_Mom, that tin can blew me off the train!" _Jane said. _"I'm sorry, ma, but that's it for me."_

Then came another call on the secondary channel. _"Sir, Sue and Adonis are down. I'm retrieving them now, but I'm meeting Autobot resistance!" _Exclaimed the airship pilot.

Magda seethed for a moment before she schooled her features and glared down at the Autobots below her. "Well played, Autobots. You win this round."

She canceled her flames and rose higher into the air. "But know that from this day onward you are all enemies of Karaba. The next time we meet, I will show no mercy. You'll share the same fate as the humans that infect Karaba's new world!"

Like a rocket, Magda flew away in the direction of the airship to rescue her other daughter and subordinate. Ironhide sighed and slumped to the ground.

"_Optimus, is everyone alright?" _Ratchet asked.

"Yes, Ratchet, we're all beaten and hurt, but everyone's safe. And the reactor is also safe as well." Optimus replied, looking grim about Magda's final warning to them. "However, I fear we have made another enemy on this world. An enemy that reminds me all too well of the Decepticons."

* * *

**Here is our first official introduction to the secondary villains of book 3-Karaba. They're going to be a thorn in the Autobots' side in the future, that I can tell ****you. Up next is a chapter focusing on Arcee, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe as they look into possible Decepticon involvement in a human civil war. Be sure to ****check out the official Transformers Titan website on Wordpress. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review. **


	14. Hearts and Minds

Chapter 14-Hearts and Minds

Starscream knew the importance of opportunities. In war, one must seize any opportunity to win a battle and deal a critical blow against the enemy, or face a humiliating defeat or even death. Starscream saw himself as someone who seized the day, though past events would say otherwise. But if there was one thing he learned from Megatron, it was that one must take the initiative to be victorious.

That was something desperately needed in this war with the humans. Ever since landing on Terra, noting had gone right for them, and their list of enemies just seemed to be growing every day. Autobots, OZ, Skywatch, and now the Atlantians. They needed a home field advantage, and it appears that Terra had those in spades.

Ancient automatons controlled via mental commands, powerful weapons capable of felling even Optimus Prime, sprawling cityscape ruins that looked more advanced than the modern cities of the 20th century. Starscream knew this planet had an abundance of weapons to use, and it irked him that Megatron barely capitalized on this. But not him, he knew when to use force, and how to apply it.

"Knockout, old friend!" Starscream said grandiosely as he entered the colosseum in Elladas, the most famous landmark in the country. "It's good to see you again."

"Don't play games, Starscream. It's the middle of the night, and I'd rather not be caught spending any amount of time with you." Knockout said, clearly not in the mood to deal with him.

This made Starscream pause, but he cleared his throat and asked, "Knockout, do you have what I asked for?"

"It's right here, Starscream." Wreckage's ice cold voice cut through the pitch black darkness of the colosseum as he entered the arena.

Starscream nodded to his like-minded comrade and turned his eager gaze onto the new toy Wreckage and Knockout brought him.

It was a golem. It stood at twenty feet and had thick brown armor with large shoulders and a slightly hunched back. The head was slightly reminiscent to that of a pharaoh's headdress and its eyes were emerald green. Starscream hummed with glee as he looked the machine over.

"You've done a wonderful job with the armor. Very nice aesthetic." Starscream praised.

"You can thank the humans who built it. They had a thing for gods that looked like humanoid lizards." Knockout said.

"Yes, it does look pretty, but does it work?" Starscream inquired.

Wreckage smirked ad turned to the golem, giving a command in cybertronian.

The golem's eyes lit up and it stood straight, its soulless gaze settling on Starscream, who backed away nervously. Tracking his movement, the golem raised its arm and its three-clawed arm shot out on a grappling line, ensnaring Starscream by the front. He gave a loud yelp as he was pulled forward and punched in the jaw by its other hand. The golem advanced toward him menacingly before Wreckage gave another command that shut the machine down.

"How do you like it?" Wreckage asked.

Starscream stood up, rubbing his chin as he stared at the golem appraisingly. "Magnificent. What is its name?"

"We haven't thought of one ourselves, but I did some looking into the god it was based off of and decided to go with that." Knockout said and tapped his knuckles on the golem's chest. "Amun."

XXXXXX

The small nation of Tajun in the land of Verusia was a country embroiled in war. It was a monarchy, and had been for several years, but lately a group of rebels from South Tajun called the South Point Resistance broke apart from the country and declared themselves independent. This led to a civil war that took longer than anyone realized to end, and now both sides was stuck in a stalemate that wore away at fighters from both sides. It seemed like this civil war would never end…until now.

General Galka of the South Point Army stood next to his guest, a man dressed in a fancy gray three piece suit watching a weapons demonstration like no other. His men, a regiment of 24 soldiers in all, fought against an unstoppable large robot that easily took all of their heavy firepower head on without a scratch.

"Outstanding, its not even slowing down, even when they shoot at its joints." Galka said, astonished at the golem's resilience. "You said this golem's name was Amun, yes?"

"That's right. Taller than any talos this country has to offer, and built with adamantium in its armor and joints." Mr. Freeman, a man of unknown repute and seller of questionable goods, said proudly. "You can outfit it with multiple weapon loadouts and its grappling hook can tear an M6 in half with ease."

When it became clear that regular gunfire was completely useless against Amun, the soldiers brought out four unmarked Murphy talos to provide additional firepower. Shoulder-mounted rocket launchers shot their payloads at the golem, but it barely did more than flinch when the projectiles hit its chest. Amun stepped forward and grabbed a rocket flying at its face. Turning it around, it threw the rocket back at the talos, blowing up a car the soldiers were using for cover.

"Amazing," Galka praised as Amun came to stand before them. "I've heard of recent advancements in drone technology based on golems, but this is beyond my wildest dreams." He studied the completely unmarked joints of the talos like a wealthy socialite showing off his fancy new car. "Who made it?"

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, don't look a gift horse in the mouth?" Freeman said coyly.

"Ah, classified." Galka nodded.

"Now, I've taking the liberty of coding it to your voice commands." Freeman said. "It is now yours to command."

Galka nodded, happy at finally getting a weapon that could turn the tide against those imperialistic dogs. But something plagued his thoughts. "I appreciate you giving this to us, but everything has a price. What's yours?"

Freeman just smirked and said, "My price is that you put it to good use."

XXXXXX

"Any of your bozos come after us and we'll shoot you full of holes!" The robber shouted before firing off a couple of rounds from his machine gun. He ran out of the bank into the getaway car where his friends, Nate and Carter, were ready to go. He hopped into the passenger seat and yelled, "Step on it!"

Carter sped away from the bank just as local authorities arrived around the corner. The bank robbers all gave cheers and high fives, thinking that they were in the clear with the biggest payday of their lives.

"Oh man, I can't believe that worked!" Nate laughed. "I thought robbing banks was impossible these days."

"Only if you run in without knowin' where the alarms are." John said. "All we have to do is hide out until the heat dies down and…"

John trailed off when he saw a hot pink car park itself right in the middle of the street. Though the other cars and pedestrians quickly got out of their way, this single car didn't move an inch. What's even stranger was that the driver, an attractive young woman with pink hair clad in a tight-fitting biker's outfit, actually got out and faced the approaching car.

"Who's the hotty?" Nate asked.

"Who cares? If she ain't gonna move, then she's gonna have her pretty brains splattered all over the street!" Carter increased his speed, driving straight at the woman. For a minute, it looked like the horrified pedestrians were going to witness a terrible hit and run incident.

Unfortunately for the robbers, this was no ordinary woman, as she suddenly vanished and the pink car behind her began to change. The flashy little car unfolded and reshaped itself into a slender pink and white robot, who stood tall glaring down at them.

"Shit!" Carter yelled and slammed on the brakes.

Arcee knelt down and easily stopped the car in its tracks. "And where do you think you're going?"

John and his companions quickly got out of the car and opened fire on Arcee with their machine guns. Their bullets ricocheted off the unimpressed Autobot femme, whose hand lashed out and destroyed their weapons with ease. Then her holomatter avatar reappeared and began laying down a serious beat down on the thugs.

"All I wanted was to have a normal day off. No Cons, no terrorists, just some me time." Arcee ranted. She commanded her avatar to throw Nate into the window of his car before backhanding Carter across the jaw and pinning John to the ground. "The fact that people like you are able to do this sickens me!"

"G-Go to hell, alien!" John spat. "I didn't come to be lectured by a female toaster!"

John screamed as Arcee's fist slammed into the ground inches from his body, killing the last shred of confidence he had as Arcee glared down at him. "You want to run that by me again?"

"_Arcee, come in." _A call came over her comm. _"This is Prowl."_

"Not now, Prowl, I'm busy." Arcee said.

"_I'd say you've made your point." _Prowl said.

Looking around at the dazed and beaten bank robbers, and the crowd of onlookers looking up at her in awe, Arcee grimaced and stood up. Yeah, maybe she was done here.

"Focus up, Arcee, I have a mission for you." Prowl told her. "And you're going to need some help for this one."

XXXXXX

Sideswipe loved his brother, he really did, since they were twins and all, but he wasn't blind to Sunstreaker's faults. He heard the angry whispers and suspicious murmurs from other Autobots; Sunstreaker being booted off a strike team for being too violent and abusive towards his teammates. Sunstreaker being told off for his unnecessarily hostile nature to both Autobots and aliens (and nearly starting a war one time because of his unwarranted comments). The list goes on, and yes, it's quiet the list.

Sideswipe accepted Sunstreaker's faults, knowing his twin just barely listens to him when he goes a step too far. But there were times when he just wanted to punch the bastard in the face. This was one of those times.

"You're going to get me killed one day, Sunny. I swear, you really are." Sideswipe hissed.

I was just giving my opinion." Sunstreaker shrugged. "Not my fault they're so sensitive."

By "they" he meant the dozen burly biker gang members and bar goers who had a little too much to drink. The Autobot twins, out of curiosity, had used their holomatter avatars to mingle with the humans for a bit. Unfortunately, it backfired horribly when one of the men made a disparaging remark about the Autobots and Sunstreaker opened his big mouth. Now they were surrounded by a bunch of angry thugs looking to punch their faces in.

"What, you are mad just because I disagreed with you?" Sunstreaker taunted.

"No, we're mad at you for taking the side of those damn aliens running our turning our country into a war zone!" A biker growled, wielding a pool stick as his weapon. "That makes you unpatriotic."

"Good thing I have zero shits about this country then, huh?" Sunstreaker grinned, further angering the men.

Sideswipe rolled his eyes. "Don't suppose you guys will be satisfied with an apology and some drinks on me?"

"We'll be satisfied once we smash your faces in!" A mohawk slinging teen growled.

"Well, I tried." Sideswipe shrugged.

Mohawk man tried to charge at Sideswipe with a thick set of chains, but Sunstreaker quickly blocked him, throwing a hard punch to his sternum and throwing him into a table. Sideswipe snatched up the pains and whacked another biker upside the head.

Sunstreaker gleefully stole a pool stick and was using it as a weapon to great effect, showing no mercy as he smacked a man's arm hard enough to almost break his bones.

"You're right, Sideswipe." Sunstreaker grinned. "This is therapeutic."

"Oh shut up." Sideswipe groaned.

Together, the two brothers proceeded to lay waste to the entire bar's worth of patrons. Burly bikers, drunken cowboys, typical patriots hanging out with like-minded drinkers and brutes tried to swarm the pair, but against two disguised Autobots with years of combat experience under their belts, they didn't stand a chance.

After a brutal beat down, the only two people left standing were Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and the awestruck bartender who recorded the whole fight on his phone.

Sideswipe sighed. "Just like Cybertron…"

"I know, it's great, right? Those were the good old days." Sunstreaker smiled. He heard a groan near his foot and looked down. It was the biker who insulted the Autobots earlier. "Still awake, bozo? Don't worry, allow me to put you to sleep!"

Sunstreaker raised his foot to smash the man's face in, but Sideswipe quickly stopped him. "Whoa, Snny, he's already beat. You don't need to go that far!"

"Haven't you seen the news, Sides? People like him only learn if you beat the lesson into them!" Sunstreaker growled and pushed his brother away. Before he could stomp on the man's head, something sharp flew past his face and embedded itself into the wall next to his head. It was a knife.

"I figured I'd find you two in the middle of a bar massacre." The twins turned to the door to see Arcee's holoform standing there.

"Hey, Cee." Sideswipe greeted her, pulling his brother away from the pile of bodies they made. "What's up?"

"We got a missions overseas, and I need your help in completing it." Arcee told them, glancing down at the downed humans.

"But I'm not finished with these morons." Sunstreaker protested.

"Yes," Arcee narrowed her eyes. "You are."

Sideswipe saw that his brother wasn't backing down, so he quickly stepped up. "Yeah, we're done here, Cee! Sorry for the mess. So, uh, what's the mission?"

Arcee stared long and hard at Sunstreaker before answering Sideswipe's question. "You two are going to help me stop a war."

XXXXXX

Starscream had to be tickled at how easy it was to manipulate these humans. Many may hero worship the Autobots, but flash a fancy gun and wave some gold in their faces and they'll dance to your tune. He forgot that greed was a universal element, along with selfishness. With their existence now public knowledge, Starscream felt it was prudent to utilize more…controversial battle tactics.

Part of Megatron's disdain for Starscream stemmed from his unconventional battle tactics in regards to taking over worlds. Starscream argued that it wouldn't hurt to try something other than infiltration and brute force to conquer worlds; why not use a race's own dark desires to help make the process go more smoothly. Money, food, drugs, sex, political power, all are driving factors that can move one to betray their entire species just for a taste of heaven. It also gave the Decepticons valuable allies who know the lay of the land and will work for them. It'd save resources and time, as well as introduce a surprise element to the war that the Autobots won't see coming.

But Megatron was too set in his ways. Why would he waste time trying to coerce the natives into helping him when he could just take what he wanted? Megatron's pride and inherent racial superiority kept him from seeing the tactical advantage that such plans provided him.

'That's what I get for trying to teach a war monger how to be political.' Starscream thought as he watched the soldiers of the designated South Point army leave the mission briefing, which took place in a large tent within their base camp.

Using his holoform, Starscream looked at the old armored vehicles and talos the South Point rebels were using and wondered how the hell they lasted this long against the Royal Army. He looked over to the tent to see the soldiers coming out to grab their weapons and gear before mounting their vehicles before driving off to battle. Many were eager to let their new weapon loose on the enemy.

"Cry havoc," Starscream smirked. "And let slip the dogs of war!"

XXXXXX

Arcee, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker exited the ground bridge just on the outskirts of what used to be a Verusian City. Arcee led the twins through the forest and crouched low to scout the battlefield for their target.

Queen Cassia of Verusia had requested the aid of the Autobots in investigating possible outside interference with the deployment of a new weapon from the South Point army that seemed too powerful to have been made by human hands. Arcee and the twins were supposed to confirm the identity of this new and advanced weapon being used by the rebels and destroy it before more people are killed.

"So here we are cleaning up another one of the humans' messes. This fragging sucks." Sunstreaker said.

Sideswipe groaned. "Don't start, Sunny."

"Why don't we just let them obliterate each other?" He continued. "Anyone who can't control their own country doesn't deserve to be in power."

"Spoken like a true hero, bro." Sideswipe muttered.

Sunstreaker scowled and roughly grabbed his brother's shoulder. "What was that?" He snarled.

"These people live in poverty as a result of a harsh regime, Sunstreaker. When there's so little for everyone, people want someone to blame. And since the man responsible for their problems is dead, they focus their rage on the queen who had nothing to do with them." Arcee said.

"Filthy animals. Destroying themselves seems to be the only things humans can do these days." Sunstreaker grumbled.

"Perhaps," Arcee looked back at him with her piercing gaze. "But considering we destroyed our homeworld in a civil war that's put our species on the galactic endangered species list, what does that say about us?"

The brothers had nothing to say to that. However, their attention was brought back to the mission when they heard an explosion further up the battlefield. A large humanoid robot lumbered through the battlefield supporting the South Point soldiers as they fought against the mechanized North Point army. Sideswipe whistled when he saw the robot take a tank shell to the chest before grabbing said tank and throwing it aside like it was a toy car.

"What the hell is that thing?" He asked.

"A golem." Arcee said. Her slid her visor over her eyes and did a quick scan of the machine, frowning from the readings she got when the golem opened fire with a barrage of energy beams from its hands. "One that's been enhanced with energon."

"Then the Cons are involved! That's our sign to move in!" Sunstreaker ran out of the forest and transformed to vehicle mode mid-stride, racing down the hill at full speed.

"Sunny, wait!" Sideswipe yelled.

"For frag's sake!" Arcee cursed and chased after Sunstreaker with Sideswipe. "He's going to get himself killed doing stupid scrap like that!"

In the city, the golem named Amun was tearing up the royal army through brute strength alone, easily smashing apart tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Some tried to take it out with RPGs and tank shells, but Amun's finely crafted adamantium armor weathered through their strongest attacks. Soldiers ran for their lives as they found themselves unable to bring down the golem and were forced back to secondary positions.

The sight of their enemies fleeing was a welcome one for the South Point army. For so long they were the ones being beaten again and again by the technologically superior royal army, but Amun was giving them a taste of victory today! The soldiers cheered as their enemies were forced to flee for their lives, but their elation turned to surprise as two missiles hit Amun's arm.

A golden yellow sports car came speeding down the decimated street before transforming into the Autobot Sunstreaker, who leapt up and kicked the golem in its face. He landed on the ground and shifted his arm into his heat cannon and pointed it at Amun.

"All right, ugly, stand down or—hey!" Sunstreaker covered his face as bullets bounced off his body, fired by the surrounding South Point soldiers. "What the hell are you people doing? I'm trying to help you idiots!"

"We don't want you Osean dogs interfering in our war! This is our land!" A soldier shouted before shooting a rocket at Sunstreaker's face.

He stumbled back from the exploding projectile hitting his face and reflexively fired his heat cannon in response, narrowly missing the soldiers as they scattered. Sunstreaker lunged forward and slammed his fist down next to the man that fired the rocket.

"You want to say that to my face, you little bastard?" Sunstreaker growled. Suddenly Amun's grappling hook grabbed his head from behind and yanked him back, throwing him into one of the half-destroyed buildings.

Amun pointed its laser cannons at Sunstreaker and fired, the onslaught forcing him to take cover. Amun slowly advanced on Sunstreaker's position while continuing its laser barrage, having detected the Autobot's energon signature as another threat to be neutralized.

"Stay away from my brother!" Sideswipe yelled as he raced right up to Amun and changed forms to lash out with his repulsor gauntlets. Before he could anything, he was grabbed by Amun's grappling hook and thrown into the ground. Sideswipe rolled away and shot his blaster into the golem's face. "You ain't so tough!"

Amun raced its arm and shot a laser blast into Sideswipe's chest, blasting him into the side of a tank. Arcee ran behind him and slashed her sabers against the back of the golem's knees, though it did little damage, for the joints were adamantium coated as well. It did catch Amun's attention though, and Arcee used this chance to shove a flash grenade into its face. The light blinded Amun long enough to allow Arcee to regroup with the twins.

"What part of teamwork did you not understand, Sunstreaker? And you call yourself a soldier." Arcee hissed. "Honestly, Rodimus has a better sense of cooperation than you."

"I'm alright, by the way. Thanks for asking." Sunstreaker said bitterly.

"I didn't." She shot back.

"That thing took a dozen of my shots at point blank range and didn't even flinch, Arcee." Sideswipe said.

"It's armor is made of adamantium, the strongest metal on the planet." Arcee said. "Even laser weaponry will have a hard time getting through."

"Those weapons are powered by energon." Sunstreaker said. "And I know those savages don't have the knowhow to do that."

"So how do we take it out?" Sideswipe asked.

"Focus on its joints, the adamantium coating is weakest there. Sideswipe, you help the royal army evacuate." Arcee said.

"Roger that." Sideswipe said and ran off to evacuate the soldiers.

Taking long strides with his large legs, he quickly gathered up as many soldiers that were either left behind or wounded in the initial attack. He jumped in front of a soldier who was about to be gunned by a South Point soldier and pointed his blaster at him.

"Beat it." He growled, scaring the soldier away.

Arcee and Sunstreaker battled Amun, slashing and shooting at the extremely durable golem. As if it weren't already heavily armed, it carried a long wrist mounted vibro-blade that tore through tank armor like scissors through paper. Sunstreaker already sported a shallow cut along his chestplate from a near miss with the blade as he shot his heat cannon into the golem's chest. It slashed at him, but he dodged it and jumped up to slam his fist into its face. Amun's grappling hook shot out and snagged his arm before throwing him down into a car.

Arcee jumped onto its back and stabbed its shoulders, slicing off its shoulder cannon and trying to sever its arms. Amun thrashed its upper body and jumped back into a wall, smashing Arcee against it. She still held on, but Amun reached back and pulled her off, throwing her aside. She hit the ground and fired her blaster at its face, just barely dodging a punch from the robot for the cheap shot.

"That's not how you treat a lady!" Sideswipe and Sunstreaker spun circles around the golem before firing their weapons.

Arcee looked up the street and saw South Point tanks closing in on their position. With their enemies having retreated, the rebels had switched their attention to the three Autobots, and they still had plenty of talos to set loose on them as well.

'We won't be able to fight off that many talos in the state we're in, and that golem's tearing us apart.' Arcee thought. 'We've got to retreat.'

Sideswipe was blasted off his wheels by a wall timed laser blast that sent him tumbling down a rock pile. Sunstreaker raced over to him and stood over his brother, facing Amun.

"Come on, cog sucker. I'm ready for you!" He yelled.

As the golem marched on him, Arcee flipped over the golem's head before dropping a flash grenade in its face. When the golem was blinded, along with any soldiers unfortunate enough to be standing in the same direction, Arcee tossed out a smoke bomb to cover their escape before grabbing the twins.

"What the hell are you doing? Let go!" Sunstreaker growled.

"Shut up and drive!" Arcee shouted before she and the brothers transformed and sped away.

XXXXXX

Once they made it far enough from the enemy forces, the Autobots changed to robot mode to take a breather from that intense battle. Sunstreaker wasted no time in getting up in Arcee's face.

"Why did you take us out of the fight? We were winning!" Sunstreaker yelled.

"We were barely making a dent in that thing, Sunstreaker." Arcee said. "Even our laser weapons were only doing so much damage in a single time."

"That adamantium armor is some tough stuff." Sideswipe groaned. "It can certainly stand against blaster fire, I'll tell you that."

"We wouldn't have had to run if those stupid humans didn't attack. We're trying to help them and those good for nothing bastards try to blow us up." Sunstreaker growled.

"Which is odd considering we haven't really done anything to them…that we know of." Arcee rubbed her chin. "If the Cons are involved, then they've done more than just escalate a conflict. We neeed answers."

"And how are we going to get those answers?" Sideswipe asked.

"I have an idea, but we're going to have to wait for the South Point Army to retreat." Arcee said.

"So instead of fighting Cons, we're running and hiding from humans like rats." Sunstreaker said bitterly.

Arcee gave him a hard glare that actually made him back away. "A true soldier is more than just someone who runs around shooting guns at the enemy. I thought you were flexible enough for the job, Sunstreaker, but apparently I was wrong. We do this my way. If you don't like it, then you can head back to base and let your brother and I do our jobs properly."

Sideswipe prayed to any god that he could think of that Sunstreaker didn't start up with Arcee of all people. Sweet as she was, Arcee was merciless when angered. Thankfully, Sunstreaker actually knew when to cut his losses and backed off.

"If that's over with, let's get back to the mission." She said. "We'll follow them back to their camp and wait to strike. We might be able to stop this war before any serious damage can be done."

XXXXXX

For the first time in what felt like forever, the South Point army returned to their camp feeling victorious. In just one day they dealt the Verusian army a blow that would've taken them more time and resources to achieve under normal circumstances. They cheered and praised the source of their victory, the powerful golem Amun. With this machine, neither the Verusians nor the Autobots will take their land from them.

But not everyone was happy.

In his tent, while his men were celebrating, General Galka was having a meeting with Mr. Freeman.

"You just let them run away?!" Freeman growled. "I hand you a superweapon and you just let them go?"

"We've won the battle with little casualties, Mr. Freeman. That's all that matters." Galka said. "Our objective was to run the Verusians out of our land and it did just that, with a little added field test against the Autobots."

"Yes, Autobots who will be back because you let them live!"

"We beat them down enough times and those aliens will not come back to our lands again." Galka said calmly. "Powerful Amun may be, I'm not about to incur the wrath of the entire Autobot force for killing a couple of their soldiers. Besides, my quarrel is with the Verusians, not the Autobots."

"The Verusians will just come back and try to take your land again. You had them on the run, you could've stormed their camp and killed them all!" Freeman said, losing his composure. "I didn't give you Amun to play cat and mouse with your enemies, I gave you Amun to annihilate your enemies!"

"You're right, we could've taken their base, but the costs in men and resources, Amun or not, would have been too high." Galka stood up and stared Freeman directly in the eyes. "That kind of thinking is more in line with the Verusians, Mr. Freeman."

"That's the point, you epidermis shedding barbarian! I think like a Verusian? Has it ever occurred to you that _they _think like Verusians? You humans are more soft hearted than I thought if you think just running them off with that miserable collection of ingrates will scare them off!" Freeman was practically nose to nose with Galka, eyes wide with rage as he continued his tirade. "The whole point of war is to destroy your enemies, blow them all away by any means necessary, make sure they'll never come back to haunt you again! Destroying everything in your path is all you humans are ever good for, so if you ever want to freely live in this dirty, rat-infested hellhole of a country, then you will do as I say and tear them apart!"

To his credit, Galka didn't immediately shoot Freeman on the spot for insulting his army and his country in a single speech. He schooled his feature and held the tent flap open, a clear indication for the man to leave. "If that is what you think, then you're free to leave this rat-infested cesspool, Mr. Freeman. I wash my hands of you!"

"Leave? Oh you poor, misguided fool. I thought we could be friends, but apparently you're no less of a coward than Optimus Prime."

Galka's face paled as Freeman's face slowly turned demonic as he advanced on the general.

"If you won't use Amun for its intended purpose, then I'll just have to take matters into my own hands!"

XXXXXX

Arcee's team waited until it was the middle of the night before moving into the South Point camp. While they were waiting, they took the time to prepare for their next and hopefully final confrontation with the golem. That meant bringing along the big guns from a certain someone's personal stash.

"Arcee, you sure that Ironhide won't mind us snatching these things from his weapons locker?" Sideswipe asked, glancing at the neutron cannon strapped to his back.

"I'm sure Ironhide will understand considering the circumstances." Arcee said, checking over her newly acquired photon-bow. "Nothing a little apology won't fix."

'I beg to differ.' Sideswipe thought but refrained from saying anything. He looked at his brother. "Sunny, you ready?"

"Is Prowl an unlikable asshole?" Sunstreaker returned with a grin, revving up his gear shredder. "Let's torch these bastards!"

"We're only here to destroy the golem. Fight against the humans only in self-defense, Sunstreaker. We don't need an international incident here." Arcee warned him.

"But all's fair against us, huh?" Sunstreaker muttered. "Let's just get this done."

Arcee had done a quick scan of the camp from the treetops before the twins arrived with the heavy weapons. It wasn't hard to spot the tent where the soldiers were keeping their mechanized units. It was possible they were keeping the golem along with the other talos for maintenance.

Having confirmed the golem's location, the three Autobots quietly infiltrated the camp, easily bypassing the patrolling guards as they kept to the perimeter of the camp. Arcee was no stranger to stealth missions, even amongst organics, so she had the twins follow her lead as they avoided the soldiers who were either resting or still celebrating in the center of the camp.

'For rebels, they're really are a bit lacking in security.' Arcee thought. Something seemed a bit odd about that, but she focused on the mission. As long as they can disable the golem before anyone activates it, it wouldn't matter if they're discovered.

"Here it is." She whispered, pointing to the old aircraft hangar that housed the South Point Army's talos. Arcee led her group to the back of the hangar and motioned for Sunstreaker to use his heat cannon to burn a hole through the wall.

Once their entrance was made, Arcee kicked the wall down and rushed inside with the twins. They quickly spotted a large humanoid machine standing right in the middle of the talos section of the hangar, looking no worse for wear aside from a few scratches and scorch marks on its armor.

"There it is!" Sideswipe exclaimed, activating his repulsor gauntlets. "Let's smash it!"

"On it!" Arcee drew her swords and leapt at Amun. She drew her arms back and slashed as hard as she could at Amun's head…only for a large hand to catch her swords mid-strike!

"What?!"

"Scrap, it's active?" Sunstreaker growled.

Amun easily tossed Arcee back as if she were a fly and she landed on her feet, sheathing her swords to take out her photon-bow. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood close to her as Amun slowly walked out of its hangar and stood before them.

"You Autobots are so predictable."

They turned to see a well-dressed man walking out of the shadows with a grin on his face. The Autobots were immediately on guard, though they were wondering how they never detected this guy when they reached the hangar.

"Who the hell are you?" Sideswipe demanded.

"Just someone who wants to see the world burn." The man said, patting Amun's leg. "Although, maybe I should be asking what you're doing here, Autobots. You're not exactly welcome in South Point territory if I remember correctly."

"We're here to apprehend or destroy that golem. It's been augmented with cybertronian technology, which is illegal under the articles of the Cybercord Treaty." Arcee said. "Step aside and let us do our jobs."

"So you come on behalf of the Verusian government, then?" He asked.

"They asked us to stop this issue from getting out of control." Sunstreaker said and pointed his heat cannon at the man. "Now beat it or you're going to get fried!"

The man, Mr. Freeman, laughed. "Oh you foolish Autobots. You couldn't have come at a worst time. Light them up, boys!"

The talos switched on simultaneously around the trio and the mecha all stepped forward with their weapons—which Arcee noticed were considerably more advanced than the standard rifles talos used—and surrounded them. Arcee cursed and glared at the arrogant human grinning up at them. Why the hell was that smirk so familiar?

"Did you hear that soldiers of the South Point army? These Autobots, who claim to not interfere in the affairs of humans, have not only sided with the Verusians in this war, they also murder your leader and come to destroy your key to winning this war!" Freeman said to the assembled troops.

"Hold up, we didn't kill anyone!" Sideswipe yelled.

"They butchered General Galka in his own tent, defenseless and unassuming, and they send these alien barbarians to finish the job by leaving you all vulnerable to Verusian retribution." Freeman said, his words further inflaming the rage burning within the hearts of the rebels. "Are you going to allow these Osean dogs to dictate how your wars go?"

"NO!" The roar was thunderous and even set Sunstreaker on edge.

"Then go forth and slay them. Show the world the might of the South Point revolutionaries!"

"Frag this!" Sunstreaker growled and pushed his brother aside before turning his heat cannon onto the talos. "I'm not dying to these bastards!"

"Sunny, wait!" Sideswipe tried to stop his brother, but Sunstreaker had already fired the shot, destroying the upper torso of a talos in one shot.

This caused the other talos to open fire on the Autobots with a combination of laser fire from their newly acquired laser rifles and rockets launched from the Murphys. Amun ran forward and barreled into the middle of their formation, forcing the Autobots to scatter. Amun focused its long-range weapons on Arcee and Sunstreaker, unleashing a barrage of missiles from the missile pods on its shoulders.

"Get behind me!" Sideswipe jumped in front of them and slammed his gauntlets together, creating a shockwave that knocked the attacking talos and Amun back. "Let's get out of here!"

They ran out of the hangar and made it outside, only to run into a hail of bullets and shells coming from soldiers and tanks that were converging on their position.

"It was a setup!" Arcee yelled.

"What do we do now?" Sunstreaker asked.

"What we came here to do. Destroy that golem and get the hell out of here." Sideswipe said and unstrapped the neutron cannon from his back. "You ready, bro?"

"I was done when we bridged to this good for nothing hellhole." Sunstreaker said, attaching the gear shredder to his left arm.

"Focus up, guys." Arcee threw two EMP grenades at the approaching tanks, disabling them, though that still left the many soldiers shooting at them with their rifles.

Amun came charging out of the hangar firing lasers from the cannons on its arms. The Autobots scattered and attacked from different directions. Sideswipe waited until the golem was close enough before shooting his neutron cannon, releasing a bright green neutron blast that hit Amun right in its chest. The blast pushed the golem back and actually left a spot of warped metal on its chest, making Sideswipe grin.

"Now we're talking!" He laughed.

Arcee pulled the string back on her photon-bow, releasing a stream of energy at the golem's leg joints. Each laser arrow hit the joints with pinpoint precision and actually made the golem stagger. While Sideswipe bombarded the golem with neutron blasts, Arcee took out its shoulder missile pods and blasted apart pieces of its armor. Sunstreaker pointed his gear-shredder at Amun's right arm, but couldn't get a clear shot.

"Sides, get clear, I'm going to shoot it." Sunstreaker called out. Sideswipe turned to his brother to say something, but his eyes widened as he saw a tank taking aim at Sunstreaker.

"Sunny, look out!"

Sideswipe activated his jet pack and shot at his brother. He slammed into Sunstreaker and pushed him aside just as the tank fired a kinetic shell at them. The shell hit Sideswipe in the left side of his chest and sent him tumbling along the ground. Sunstreaker watched in horror as his twin rolled to a stop with a big smoking hole in his side that was leaking energon profusely.

"Sides!" Sunstreaker shouted. He felt bullets impacting his armor and saw more soldiers and talos coming at them. "You animals! Is this all you're ever good for?"

His eyes turning red with rage, Sunstreaker fired his heat cannon at the talos, completely destroying the old machines in a single shot, their pilots incinerated in red hot flames before they even knew it. The camp was set aflame from the exploding talos, tents catching fire and soldiers running for their lives as the flames spread. Sunstreaker didn't stop with the talos; he focused his anger on the tanks too. Grabbing one tank by the cannon barrel, he lifted it over his head and slammed it down onto another tank, before kicking them both into a group of fleeing soldiers.

"Why are you running?" Sunstreaker howled. "I thought you wanted to fight me? No sense in running like cowards now!"

Sunstreaker shot at anything that moved, not caring at all for the unfortunately soldiers who were burned alive from the intense heat of his blasts. The attack on the soldiers caught the attention of Amun, who limped toward Sunstreaker and pointed its laser cannons at the enraged Autobot.

"Sunstreaker!" Arcee called out. She adjusted the settings on the photon bow and pointed it at the golem's legs. Pulling the trigger, she fired a long, thin energy beam that hit Amun's left knee and completely burned through the joint, causing Amun to tumble forward onto its hands and knees. Still, it attempted to attack Sunstreaker, who noticed the lumbering giant behind him.

"Don't think I forgot about you, cog sucker!" Sunstreaker hefted the neutron cannon onto his shoulder and unleashed a barrage of energy fire onto the golem's head. Repeated neutron blasts tore apart Amun's head and chest, as well as melting the adamantium armor that made up its frame.

"Sunstreaker!" Arcee yelled over the assault. "Sunstreaker, stop! It's already destroyed!"

Sunstreaker finally registered Arcee's words and he stopped firing the overheated cannon. He tossed the weapon aside as he glared down at the burning, melted remains of what was once a highly advanced golem, though now the mighty Amun was just a pile of molten slag and badly burnt scraps. Sunstreaker ran over to Arcee and knelt down next to his brother.

"Arcee, is he alright?" He asked worriedly.

"He's hurt, but he'll pull through. Though I don't think he'll be seeing any action for a couple of days." Arcee said, checking Sideswipe over. She looked up at the burning camp, at the smoldering wrecks of talos and tanks, at the scorched remains of the soldiers that weren't able to get away. It was a miracle anyone got away in time. "Sunstreaker, what did you do?"

Sunstreaker carefully pulled Sideswipe onto his back and sent Arcee a glare. "I taught them a lesson. We're not taking their slag because we're Autobots. It's they're fault for getting involved."

Arcee couldn't believe the lack of empathy in Sunstreaker's voice, but his eyes were even more disturbing. There was no remorse in his gaze. He truly didn't care that he just attacked a bunch of humans without hesitation.

She called the Ark for a ground bridge and made mental note to inform Optimus of this. Sunstreaker was more unstable than she realized and she was afraid of what he might do next when he really let's loose.

XXXXXX

Starscream and Wreckage stood on the outskirts of the burning South Point camp. The soldiers had scattered into the forests in the midst of Sunstreaker's unexpected rampage, and their cash cow had just been reduced to slag by that same Autobot. There was no need to maintain the charade anymore.

"Well that was an interesting turn of events." Wreckage said. "Wasn't expecting that brat to go ape like that."

"Neither did I." Starscream muttered.

"You don't sound very disappointed." Wreckage noted. "We can't continue the mission anymore now that Amun's destroyed, and I really wanted to see that thing cause some damage in the Verusian capital."

"Tonight wasn't a total loss, Wreckage." Starscream said, glancing up at the trees. He saw the faint outline of Laserbeak before he flew off to report back to his master, though Starscream hardly seemed concerned. In fact, this was perfect. "I've just confirmed a little experiment of mine: turning the humans against the Autobots."

"That was your goal?"

"Yup. There are many greed-driven humans on this planet, and not all of them see the Autobots as saviors sent from the heavens. The South Point army will forever see the Autobots as dogs of the western barbarians trying to intrude upon their territory, and I doubt Verusia will really see the Autobots in a good light after this massacre."

"Oh, I like that train of thought." Wreckage grinned.

"But that's not even the best part, Wreckage." Starscream smirked, thinking back to Sunstreaker's berserk rampage in the camp. "I think I just found the weak link in the chain."

* * *

**Nothing totally special about this chapter aside from planting some seeds for future story arcs. I'm some of you can take a guess, though I'm not telling. ****This is my last chapter for the year, and next chapter we focus on the growing esper problem in Osea as the children take center stage. Be sure to check out ****Transformers Titan website on Wordpress, as well as my Fantasia website too. Thanks for reading, please leave a review, and Happy Holidays to all my fans! **


	15. Emergence

Chapter 15-Emergence

The sun was bright and warm as it shown down on the track field, unencumbered by clouds for once. The weather was warm for once, but only just so, for as it got deeper into autumn it would soon get colder. Still, it was a welcome relief to the track team of Heartsgrace Middle School, who were in the middle of practice. The runners of the girls team were exhausted, but were willing to push through for their last run.

Brittany got into position, her tall, lean body tight with tension, muscles coiling up for that upcoming explosive burst. Like a big cat of the savannah, she focused on nothing else, not the other racers, not the handful of people in the bleachers, and certainly not a certain one-eyed girl cheering her on. Then she heard it.

BANG!

Like a snake using every muscle in its body to attack, the muscles in Brittany's legs uncoiled and she shot off with the other racers. It was almost instinct at this point, her body leaning forward while her legs reached out in long strides to gain as much traction as possible. Brittany was already in the lead by a close margin. A minute passed as the racers ran around the entire track, and it was already clear who was winning.

In a heartbeat, Brittany ran across the finish line and skidded to a stop, breathing heavily, though not as heavily as the other girls. The coach looked at her stop watch and smile.

"A minute and three seconds, just a second under your time last week. A new record, Brittany!" The coach smiled. "You're really getting better."

Brittany, having already caught her breath, gave the coach a tired smile. "Thanks, coach."

"All right, girls, you all did great today. We're going to keep this up for the rest of the week, so I hope you girls are up for a long run. Now get dressed and have a safe trip home."

The other girls broke apart and went to the changing room to get their things. Brittany went for her bag, but was roughly pushed aside by another girl.

"Good to see you're such a sore loser, Indigo." Brittany huffed.

"Stuff it, golden girl. Unlike you, we underachievers actually have to work for our victories." Indigo sneered.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

It was no surprise that some of the other girls were jealous of her. Brittany was too good at what she did, and frustration and wounded pride can make some girls catty. Indigo was the worst of them, having once been the star of the track team before Brittany moved to Tranquility.

Once Brittany got her things, she left the locker room and quickly spotted the one person who was waiting for her after school.

"Annie!" Brittany called out to her.

Dressed in a thin shirt and shorts for the mildly warm weather with a long black glove on her left arm, Annie looked rather unsuited for the fall weather, but hardly looked affected by the slight chill in the air. Hearing someone call her name, Annie turned and smiled at Brittany, her lone eye shining.

"Hey, Brit!" Annie said as the girl walked over. "You were great out there!"

"You actually stayed behind to watch me practice?" Brittany questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Annie shrugged, getting a slight blush on her cheeks. "Yeah, I did. Figured you could use some support and…stuff."

Brittany giggled and took Annie's leather clad hand, noting how hard the limb felt, and led her new friend down the hallway. "Don't be flustered, Annie. I appreciate you staying after school for me."

"I'm not flustered! I'm just feeling a bit hot, that's all." Annie huffed. "But you're welcome anyway."

Brittany smiled and squeezed her hand tighter. It was always a joy for her to spend time with Annie, one of the few friends she was able to make in this school. She was quite a different girl to spend time with; Annie had a refreshingly rough and tumble attitude that just…drew Brittany to her, and a hidden cute side to her that she just adored. A far cry from her old school down in the Sunny-side south, where most of the girls were sarcastic mean girls without a hard working bone in their bodies.

Moving to Tranquility was hard, but necessary. More and more fights between the local esper gangs and police were occurring on a monthly basis. After a particularly dangerous gun fight between the ERD and a Karaba cell near her school that left a lot of civilian casualties, her parents decided that it was time to move. Tranquility was isolated, out of the way but modern enough to not feel like the boonies. Granted the kids at school were…different.

There was the rich and spoiled Mandy, the haughty but ultimately nice Penny, her boyfriend Kevin who had to be the coolest guy she ever met, the cute couple consisting of Darren and Gina…and the headstrong Gina. Brittany couldn't understand how she and Annie could mesh so well despite being total different in personalities and hobbies, but she was grateful for her family living only two houses down from the Radcliffes.

"This indigo girls sounds like a bitch." Annie said.

"You don't know her?"

"I don't know everyone in my school, rit. Tranquility isn't that kind of community. We're sort of a mix between a city and a town when it comes to size. I'm pretty sure our mayor doesn't even know what to call this place anymore." Annie remarked, making Brittany laugh.

The two girls exited the school and continued talking as they crossed the schoolyard, but as they left the yard, they were greeted by loud, voracious chants outside the school gates.

"Espers are death, man!"

"Down with those filthy SOBs!"

"Espers made my dad lose his job!"

"It's all that freak's fault that my girlfriend broke up with me!"

"Yes, my friends, that's right. Espers are a huge problem, but don't worry, we're here for you." Said a young man dressed in a black dress shirt, pants and a light coat with an "HF" armband around his bicep. He was a senior at the local high school on the other street. "The Human Front will bring humanity back into the light, just believe in us, have faith, and stand strong. Espers are weak without their powers. They may try to bring us down, but we will rise."

There were loud cheers from the assembled group, with other people just trying to go along with their day. Many students just barely gave them a glance as they rushed on home or to the mall.

"They've been going on about espers for half an hour. I could see these assholes from the science lab." Annie muttered as she looked right at them. "The natives don't look too friendly."

"I thought this was a school, not some skinhead rally." Brittany growled, disgusted at the rhetoric being spouted.

The presence of the Human Front activist group had spread across Osea significantly, finally reaching Tranquility about a month ago. Most of their ramblings focused on espers, as usually, but with the advent of the Autobots and the last two conflicts with the Merfolk, the group was at their most vocal in years. The mini-rallies they had in front of the school were held by people Annie had talked to on occasion before!

What was even more disturbing was that with the emergence of espers that have manifested in Tranquility, many were suddenly disappearing and were later found dead or severely beaten. A boy with green scaled skin found lynched in the next town over. A girl with insect antennae left beaten in an alley. A woman who could breathe fire strangled to death. All murders oddly coinciding with the arrival of the Human Front to Tranquility. No accusations had been made yet, as nothing was concrete, but you'd have to be blind not to see the connection.

"You'd think they have the sense not to do this in front of a damn school." Brittany said. Annie shrugged.

"You know what they say, Brit. Common sense isn't common." She said. "Come on, let's scram before-"

"Hey there!" A jovial voice greeted them from behind. The girls turned to see another high school student walking up to them. "Oh, hey, Annie! You interested in the rally too?"

"No, Malcom, we're just trying to block out that dimwit's ranting." Annie said dryly.

"Annie, be nice. He's just trying to spread the message." Malcom said defensively.

"By doing it in front of my school? That's smart." Annie rolled her eyes.

"Who's this?" Brittany asked.

"Brit, this is Malcom. He's a high school freshman who just graduated from Heartsgrace. Malcom, this is Brittany, the new girl in town." Annie rushed through the introductions without a care, wanting to get this over with.

"Charmed." Malcom said, smiling. "You two here to apply for memberships? These guys are pretty cool with kids joining."

"No thanks. I'd rather not have my name stuck on the roster of the Belkan Purist rejects." Annie crossed her arms as she looked him over. "Don't tell me you actually joined these yahoos, Malcom."

"I'm sorry, Annie, but these guys make some good points. With all the craziness with Karaba, dangerous espers are popping up every day." He said.

"I'm sure the esper baby that was almost suffocated to death by his own mother was a total danger to society." She retorted. That threw him off.

"L-Look, the world's getting shittier by the day, okay? We've got alien robots, fish people…really crazy stuff." Malcom stammered. "Besides, all we're doing here is protesting. We have freedom of speech."

"For now." Annie snorted.

"Malcom, what seems to be the problem?" The man who spoke to the crowd walked up behind Malcom with a smile that could give a business tycoon a run for his money. "And who are these young ladies? New recruits?"

"You wish." Annie said rudely, earning a nudge from Brittany.

"Louis, these are some…friends of mine. I've been trying to explain to them our message, but they don't want to listen."

"I see that you ladies have been blindly following the bad press the news is giving us. Contrary to what you might be hearing on television, we're simply looking for bright young minds to help bring the human race forward." Louis said slickly and held a pamphlet out to them. "You're welcome to join the Human Front as junior members."

"There's a junior membership?" Brittany scrunched up her face. "My god."

"You want us to join?" Annie asked.

"We welcome all humans, no matter what gender, race, ethnic background or sexual preference." Louis said. "As a race, we all must stand together as monsters from space and our very oceans try to take our world from us."

"Sorry, not interested." Annie cut in. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to get home."

She turned to leave, but Louis grabbed her left arm forcefully.

"This is a matter of racial pride, girl. Deny our help and you're no better than those traitors in Providence." Louis growled.

"Too bad I don't care what you think about me." She replied.

"Yeah, we're not interested in any of this." Brittany said. "All you're doing is making people upset."

"People have a right to be upset. Humanity is losing its grip on this planet t all sorts of monstrous threats, and yet you people won't see the truth for what it is!" The man was losing his patience now. "Any human who isn't with us, is against us."

"So anyone who doesn't agree with you is an enemy? Then you nimrods must have a long naughty list if that's the case." Annie remarked, glaring up at him. "Now, this is the last time I'm going to tell you this—let me go."

"Perhaps you girls don't fully understand the dangers our race currently face." Louis said. "Allow us to properly educate you—"

Annie's prosthetic right hand shot up and punched Louis square in the cheek, spinning him around before he fell to the ground. Everyone who saw the altercation was shocked at seeing a little girl lay a grown man flat on the ground in a single punch.

"Annie," Malcom exclaimed. "How the hell…"

"You shouldn't have done that, girl." One of the HF members growled.

"Um, Annie…" Brittany said nervously, noticing some of the angry looks on the supporters' faces.

"You guys want me to drop you too? I'm happy to oblige!" Annie grinned, cracking her knuckles.

"Hey, what's going on here?"

It was the school security guard, who had caught a glimpse of what was going on out front. Seeing her opening, Annie hopped onto Grindor and pulled Brittany along with her, signaling the Minicon to go.

"Duces!" Annie laughed as the girls sped away on the skateboard that was a robot in disguise, leaving behind a confused Malcom and a bunch of angry HF members.

XXXXXX

Grindor drove the girls all the way back to their neighborhood without having to stop along the way. Brittany held onto Annie's waist, wondering how such a large skateboard could not lose speed for so long.

When they reached Brittany's house, the girl hopped off and gave Annie a glare. "Annie, I can't believe you did that!"

"I told him to let go." Annie shrugged. "Not my fault he doesn't know how to keep his hands to himself."

Brittany tried not to smile at Annie's no-shit attitude. "Honestly, Annie, try not to start anything with those racist pigs. They're not afraid to make people's lives hell for going against them."

"Don't worry, Brit. I'll be fine. I've been through…worse situations than this." She said and smiled. "I'm a big girl. I can handle them."

Brittany smiled at Annie's courage. "If only other people were as courageous as you, Annie. Then maybe those HF freaks wouldn't have their way all the time."

"Ha…" Annie blushed at the adoring look in Brittany's eyes. "T-Thanks. First time anyone's really praised me for punching someone out."

"You were well within your rights for doing so, Annie. I would've done so myself in your position." She said. Then Brittany winced and put a hand to her head.

"You okay?" Annie asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a headache. I've been having them a lot lately." Brittany gave Annie a smile and ran over to her house. "I'll see you tomorrow, Annie. And I promise we're going shopping right after school tomorrow."

"Yippe." Annie drawled playfully.

Brittany giggled and waved the girl goodbye before slipping into her house. Once she shut the door, Brittany leaned against it and sighed, running her hands along her face.

'My god I'm a mess.' She thought.

"Brittany, is that you?" Brittany's mother poked her head out of the living room and smile. "Welcome home, dear. How was school?"

"It was okay. I didn't have too many headaches today, so that's a plus." Brittany said, walking into the living room. "Only one."

"That's good." Cyan sighed in relief, pulling her daughter in for a hug. "I'm still worried for you, though. These headaches…they're caused by something, and I'm sure it's not stress."

"If that's the case, then you know more than the doctors." Brittany flopped onto the couch and watched the TV, which was showing another news broadcast.

"_Another clash between the esper vigilante group known as the Neo Knights has occurred with the religious activist group called the Purifiers, after the group attempted to assault two teenage espers. Though the assailants are in federal custody, the Neo Knights are still at large. Katie Mannequin of the ERD has this to say…"_

"Must be nice being a hero." Brittany muttered. "Saving people who hate and fear you. Strong people…just like you, Annie."

Brittany raised her hands and looked at her nails. They were sharp, sharper than normal human nails, like claws, and the backs of her hands and arms had a small barely noticeable coating of fuzz—fur. She sighed and leaned back on the couch.

"Just like Annie."

XXXXXX

"Primus this is boring." Rodimus sighed. His holo-avatar mirrored his boredom as he drove down the streets of downtown Tranquility.

It was his turn to run patrols around the town for the next few days, a duty he accepted begrudgingly. It was a precautionary measure; Optimus assigned a two-Bot team to regularly patrol Tranquility for any Decepticons or OZ agents lurking about to avoid the children being targeted and attacked again. After the mess with Darren and Sunstreaker, no one was taking any chances.

Rodimus didn't mind the job. After getting his ass handed to him by Thornment, he needed the vacation…and some time away from Sunstreaker. The mech had been suspended from active duty after he torched that revolutionary camp in Verusia and was getting harder to be around every day. Sunstreaker was turning into something he wasn't liking, and he didn't want to be around the guy when he got all negative.

'Maybe some time off this planet might do some good for him.' Rodimus thought. 'That is, if we can convince him to leave.'

He drove away from the noisy afternoon rush into one of the quieter areas of the town, lazily running a few scans for cybertronian biosignatures. When he drove down a deserted street with a park next to it, he stumbled upon a troubling sight.

"Where's the lunch we told you to get for us, freak?"

"Yeah, are you deaf as well as ugly?"

Rodimus saw three girls crowding around a fourth girl, who was cowering against the wall of a house in fear. The terrified look in her eyes was hard to ignore and it got his engines roaring angrily.

"I-I'm not buying lunch for you anymore, Lucy." The girl stammered, looking down at her feet. "I b-barely have enough for myself and—"

She yelped as the older girl pulled on her long auburn hair painfully and led her forward like a dog on a leash.

"If you're going to try standing up to us, try to do it without stammering like a retard, you ugly little bitch." Lucy growled, yanking hard on the girl's hair. "Now you're going to apologize for wasting our time and—"

"She's not doing anything, brat."

Lucy and her posse looked back to see a handsome young man wearing a bright red and orange jacket standing over them with his arms crossed. Lucy scowled and let the girl's hair go to turn to him.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked snidely.

"Just a concerned adult stopping what I clearly see as bullying." Rodimus said.

"No one's bullying anybody here. See?" Lucy wrapped an arm around the cowering girl's shoulders and aggressively pulled her in close. "We're all friends here. Right, Justine?"

Rodimus clearly saw the fear in Justine's eyes, even as she was forced to nod along with the girl's plan. "Y—Yes, we're friends."

"It's not smart to lie to an officer of the law, kid." Rodimus held out a (fake) police badge with a smirk. "And for the record, I heard your little threat towards this young lady, so you better let her go and leave right now before I report this to the principle of your school."

Lucy's eyes narrowed into slits and she huffed, trying not to act scared as she pushed Justine away and walked away with her friends. "Whatever. She's useless anyone. Come on, girls, let's head to the mall."

Rodimus watched them go with a frown before turning back to the other girl, Justine. "You okay, kid?"

"Yes, I-I'm fine, thank you." Justine muttered.

"I'm guessing this isn't the first time this happened, huh?" He asked.

Justine's silence was enough of an answer for him.

Rodimus sighed and knelt down in front of her. "Hey, you don't have to worry about her anymore. She's gone now and—"

"She'll come back." Justine whimpered. "People like her always come back…like cockroaches!"

"W-What?!" Rodimus stammered, not expecting that outburst. This girl's attitude did a complete 180 real fast!

"You can send them to jail and they'll still come after me. People like that never learn a damn thing!" She growled, her eyes flashing. Rodimus heard a loud metallic screech behind him that knocked Justine out of her haze and her expression turned into one of horror. "Oh god, I-I'm sorry, officer. I'll go now!"

"Hold up!" Rodimus tried to stop her, but she was already running away from him. "Scrap."

Rodimus sighed and turned around, only to jump back when he saw the surprising sight behind him.

The lamp post right next to his vehicle mode was twisted and deformed, as if someone had twisted it out of its shape with their bare hands.

XXXXXX

Brittany's migraines were only the start of her problems as the week went on. For the past few days, she began noticing that her body was undergoing a few…changes.

First it was her nails. They had been slowly growing and sharpening into claws, and no matter how much she filed them down, they'd grow back within a day. Second was that her sense became more acute and precise, the world becoming clearer in a sense, as if she turned her senses up to a hundred. She could hear better, see clearer, smell things more acutely, the whole package.

Third was that her body began feeling stronger. Being part of the school's track team meant that she was already athletic to a degree, but over the last week she started feeling like she could bench press a car or something. She felt more active and rarely got tired. Hell, she even grew a couple of more inches. It was all so strange and these changes were starting to scare her.

It didn't take a genius to know what was going on. She was an esper, or at least in the process of becoming one. Only her parents knew about what was going on, and she didn't dare consider telling her friends, especially Annie. The fear of how people will react…she couldn't go through that stigma, let alone what the more radical anti-esper people might do. Gods forbid what those HF goons might do if they learned of her.

So Brittany kept it a secret, acted as if everything was fine and went on with her life. She kept doing track, she hung out with Annie, and she went to school like every other normal girl. But as she looked in the mirror and started seeing the visible changes in her body, she knew that all she was doing was ignoring the inevitable.

Brittany Indigo was an esper, and the world seemed dead set on reminding her of that fact.

XXXXXX

"Hey, Annie."

Annie looked up and saw Brianna standing next to her on the bleachers. "Oh, hey, Brianna."

Annie waned to ask why Brianna was here, since she seemed to practically gravitate towards Darren and Gina most of the time when she was not with Justine. She had nothing against the girl, but they never really had a chance to talk one on one.

"In case you're wondering, Gina dragged Darren out of the building before I could say hi to them." Brianna pouted. "I think Gina doesn't like me."

Annie chuckled. "No, it's not that. Gina's just…possessive. You know, since that Batgirl cosplayer called Darren cute at a comic convention."

"Seriously?" Brianna snorted.

"Yeah, she was absolutely livid."

The coach blew the whistle and the girls were off. As usual the ones in the lead were Brittany and Indigo, who was trying extra hard today. As the girls ran their first lap, Indigo kept inching closer and closer to Brittany, far too close than was allowed. Before Brittany knew it, something caught her legs and she stumbled, falling forward onto the ground and hit her face.

"Hey, coach, that's a foul!" Annie yelled. "That bitch tripped her!"

The coach blew the whistle and glared at Indigo. "Indigo, get off the field."

"What did I do, coach?" Indigo said, smirking back at Brittany. "It's not my fault she's so clumsy."

Brittany growled, the noise deep in throat, and shot to her feet. Almost faster than anyone could see, she sprinted forward and rammed into Indigo, knocking her to the ground. She pinned the girl into the gravel and hissed in her face like a cat.

"You little bitch!" Brittany snarled. "You think you're so clever, don't you? Well you're nothing compared to me, second place!"

"Brit, stop!" The other girls shouted. The coach tried to pull Brittany off, but the girl barely budged.

"Get off me!" Indigo cried out.

"Brit, let go!" Annie ran up to Brittany and tried to pull her away.

Brittany growled and swung an arm at Annie, who surprisingly caught her wrist and held tight onto her limb. Brianna also jumped in and helped Annie pull Brittany off Indigo. The girl was still struggling, though not as much now as Annie's voice got to her.

"It's okay, Brit, she's not worth it." Annie whispered. "I'm here."

Brittany slowly calmed down and relaxed in Annie's arms, though the looks the other girls were giving her were unsettling. She thought it was because of how she attacked Indigo, but it was clearly something else about her.

"Brit," Annie said, also staring at her with wide eyes. Brittany tried to ignore how close she was to her. "Your eyes."

Brianna took out a pocket mirror and pointed it at Brittany, who took one look at her reflection and gasped. Her eyes were a solid green, her irises almost completely eclipsing the light of her eyes, like those of a cat.

XXXXXX

In the end, Brittany and Indigo were suspended from practice for fighting, but the coach had made it clear to Indigo that one more incident like that will get her kicked off the team. That didn't stop Indigo from throwing Brittany nasty looks, and the rest of the class looked like they were walking on eggshells around her. Annie and Brianna stayed with Brittany to keep her company, which she sorely needed after the shock of her eyes. However, her troubles didn't end there.

As the girls left the school, they were met by Malcom…and Louis. The man looked as pleasant as ever, fresh off of completing another rally to increase HF membership in Tranquility.

"Dear god, what do you two want?" Annie grunted.

"Chill, Annie, we're just here to apologize for yesterday." Malcom said.

"Yes, it seems we got off on the wrong foot yesterday, and I lost my temper a bit." Louis said smoothly.

"Well, you apologized, so everything's cool now." Brittany said, walking past him. "Annie, Brianna, I'm going home. See you two tomorrow—"

"I said that I'd apologize, but what about you?" Louis said, glaring down at her.

"Excuse me?" Brittany growled.

"I admit that I came off as very abrasive yesterday, but you should also apologize for your words against the Human Front's noble cause."

"Noble cause? What's so noble about initiating witch hunts against innocent people like you're the Inquisition?" Brittany replied. "All you're doing is inspiring fear and hatred just to spread your word and get famous."

"We're trying to inform mankind of the growing danger hidden in plain sight. This planet belongs to humanity and it must stay that way!" Louis growled.

"Dude, just let it go. You apologized, that's it. Now leave us alone." Brianna said firmly.

"Louis, come on, man. Don't start this up again." Malcom whispered, looking around at the growing crowd of onlookers. "You're attracting attention."

"Malcom, if you ever want to be one of us then you must be prepared to defend your beliefs against people who'd rather support mechanical monsters and genetic freaks."

"And if I don't apologize, what are you going to do?" Brittany showed no fear as she stared Louis down. "Are you going to kidnap and lynch me just like those espers your people tortured?"

"How dare you!" Louis reached out and roughly grabbed her arm. "I'll teach you to respect—"

He was cut off when Brittany grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm, throwing his body over her shoulder into the ground. When one of the other HF members tried to attack her, Brittany actually growled and kicked him in the chest, knocking him into the front gate.

"Brit, stop!" Annie yelled.

Brittany sung around and swiped at Annie with her claws to keep her away. She grunted and stumbled before falling to her knees. Annie, Brianna and the other students could only watch in shock and horror as they saw Brittany's body begin to change.

The girl's lithe body began to grow larger, her muscle mass increasing slightly. Yellow fur sprouted along her body, dotted with black spots along her arms and legs. A tail emerged from her tailbone, sliding out from under her shirt. Her teeth grew sharper and her limbs longer to match her growing musculature. Within seconds, Brittany had undergone a change from a young girl to a humanoid cheetah.

"W-What's…" Brittany looked at her furry arms and legs in shock. Her clothes sported numerous rips and tears from her increased size and looked to be barely holding itself together. Her face was still human, but her nose was like that of a cat's, with whiskers emerging from her cheeks. "What's going on?!"

"Y-You…" Louis whispered, glaring murderously at her. "You're one of them!"

Brittany spun around, seeing the other kids stare at her like she was some sideshow attraction. Even Annie and Brianna were staring at her in horror. Unable to handle the stares and mutterings, Brittany ran down the street, faster than any human could on their own.

"Brit, wait!" Annie called out to her, but her friend was already gone.

XXXXXX

Justine was a girl who hung on the edge every day. As a girl living with a highly religious single mother, freedom was but a pipe dream as the woman acted more like an overzealous nun than a mother. It only got worse when she found out that Justine was an esper.

Her power was nothing special, just rudimentary telekinesis she found out, however her mother treated her as if she were one of those physically altered espers that could snap at any moment. Her mother's constant crying and screaming at her made her home life terrible, and she had no friends at school, which wasn't a surprise. After all, who'd want to be friends with her?

The other kids treated her like she had a plague, and the teachers deemed her as not worth stepping in to protect, and ignored her plight. Between being ignored or being treated like trash, it was an endless cycle that she got sick of. She just wanted it to stop. Was that too much to ask? What had she ever done to these people?

Learning that Darren was an esper just like her made her feel better, and having Brianna support her in a way no one else would was a breath of fresh air for her. Whenever they had time, she and Darren would practice with their powers in their very own secret spot, with Brianna watching from the sidelines giving them her support. Those days she spent with them were moments she always cherished and made the best of.

But today was not one of those days. Darren had his own business to take care of, and Brianna was also occupied with an issue that came up with another one of her friends. This left Justine with nothing to do until her mother came home and the cycle started anew. So, she idly wandered the streets of Tranquility until the sun started to set, and she found herself standing atop the bridge that sat over the river. She stood at the edge of the barrier, looking out at the sunset.

'A drop from this height into the water would be like falling headfirst into concrete.' Justine thought. 'Would it be quick, or would fate give me a slow death?'

Justine didn't give her morbid curiosity a second thought as she contemplated jumping. Would her powers flare up to save her? Was she strong enough to make a safe landing?

Just one step and she'd either be a cold body in the water or she'd have reached a new apex of her powers.

"It's a long way down."

Justine squeaked and spun around to see that undercover cop from yesterday standing there, his obscenely ostentatious car parked behind him on the bridge.

"I know." Justine replied, trying to remain calm. Dear god, was he going to arrest her for being an esper?

The still nameless man took a step closer, slowly as if trying not to frighten her away again. "Look, I know you're an esper, but I'm not going to sell you out or anything. I was just passing by when I spotted you, and, um, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking of doing, please don't do it. I imagine it'll make a lot of people sad."

Justine thought of Darren and Brianna, and she knew they'd be sad if anything happened to her. but then her mind flashed to all the other people who made her life hell and she scowled.

"Who, exactly? My mother, who calls be a devil spawn every night? Or the kids at school who treat me like dirt?" She spat.

"Well…" He found it hard to reply to that. "I'm here. I'd care if you die."

"You're a cop. This is just a job to you." Justine said.

"I'm not a cop." He said, surprising her. "It is my job to help people, though. To make sure that people like you are safe."

Justine shook her head. "Of course you're not a cop. What police officer in t-there right mind would try to talk to an esper instead of s-shooting them on sight?" She gritted her teeth. "I don't care! I'm going to jump and whether or not I live is not your concern!"

"Wait!"

Justine jumped over the railing and leapt over the side, allowing gravity to take hold. As she began to fall she heard metallic clanging behind her and screamed as a large metal hand wrapped around her body. She no longer felt herself falling, now in the grip of a large red and orange robot that hung off the side of the bridge with one hand.

"See?" Rodimus grinned at her. "Told you I'm not a cop."

XXXXXX

"She didn't come to school today?" Annie groaned.

Darren nodded. "Yeah, I didn't see her at all this morning and she didn't come in late. I think you can guess why, though."

Annie had a good guess. She barely got past first period before hearing the whispers spreading throughout the school. Brittany was an esper, one hiding in plain sight and had attacked a man in front of the school. Most of the students were still in shock at the sudden appearance, but some had less than pleasant remarks about the unfortunate girl.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Brittany was being accused by HF for attacking that protestor…with Annie being called in as a witness. That had been a fun afterschool party.

"Annie, I'm not accusing you or your friend of anything, but when a student of this school attacks someone—"

"She didn't mean to!" Annie growled, not caring if she was being rude. "Brittany was angry and afraid. Did you even talk to that asshole about how he was harassing us yesterday and today just a few minutes before the incident?"

"Please lower your voice, Annie." The principal said. "And thanks to some other accounts from the students watching the altercation, I'm well aware of Mr. Lancaster's behavior towards you and your friends, but now we are talking about your friend's…transformation outside the school. Did you know she was an esper?"

"No, I didn't, and neither did she because her powers hadn't manifested." Annie said. "She was just having a bad day already and that stooge wasn't helping. Please don't condemn her for that."

"I'm inclined to believe you, Annie, but I need to hear Brittany's side of the story first. Is there any way you can contact her?" He asked.

"I'll try to call her up and get her to come back, but don't expect her to feel safe with those racists running around." She sneered and stomped out of the office.

Annie spent the rest of her day in a foul mood. Everywhere she went she heard people talking about Brittany. And seeing that bitch Indigo act like the victim was absolutely infuriating to her. All she had on her mind was Brittany and the terrified look she had before running away. It was an expression she used to see on Darren's face.

When school ended, Annie left the school without waiting for Darren and Gina, ignoring the even larger HF rally that was being held near the school. Men and women clamoring over each other like wolves over the fact that an esper was going to school with their children. Clutching Grindor tighter in her arm, Annie marched past the crowd and down the street.

"Annie!" Malcom ran up to her, clad in his black Human Front t-shirt. "Annie, I need—"

"What do you want, Malcom?" Annie growled. "Haven't you and your friends done enough damage already?"

"Lay off, Annie. I can't control what Louis does." Malcom said. "He's just overbearing like that."

"Sure, keep making excuses for him." She rolled her eyes at him and kept walking.

"Wait, please." He pleaded. "Did you…know that Brittany was one of them?"

"You can say the word, Malcom. She's an esper, and no, I didn't know until yesterday." Annie sneered. "It's not exactly something you can just blab to your friends about."

"You, Malcom, Louis wants to see you!" One of the younger HF members ran up to Malcom. Upon seeing Annie, he scowled. "What are you doing here, freak lover?"

"Hey, leave her alone. She hasn't done anything!" Malcom scolded.

"Don't worry, I was just leaving." Annie said and turned away. "Enjoy your discount skinhead rally."

"Yeah, you better walk away!" One of the other members yelled. "Once the Esper Control Bill is passed, those freaks and race traitors like you better run!"

XXXXXX

"That guy was a bitch." Grindor said as Annie rode him over to Brittany's house.

"Him and many others, Grindor." Annie said.

"I wish he could've said that if I was standing near him. I could've broken every bone in his body." Grindor said.

"What did I say about violence against humans, Grindor?"

"Um…it's not attempted murder if you shoot below the waist?"

"Exactly, so hit him below the belt and they can't convict you." Annie said.

Let it be known that Annie was a bad influence on aliens learning self-defense against humans.

After riding along the sidewalk for a few minutes, Grindor asked, "Annie, what's the Esper Control Bill?"

"Some stupid law Senator Cordell brought up. Basically it authorizes the nation to use deadlier force on espers to control them outside the boundaries of human rights. Long story short, it allows local authorities to do whatever they want to espers under the grounds of self-defense without having to worry about violating human rights."

It was a proposal riding on the coattails of the Esper Registration Bill that was previously proposed to the senate senator Cordell's belief of espers posing a danger to the public held sway with the government, but President Flagg approved of it as long as it was a voluntary act. He had the foresight to know that forcing espers to register with the government might not end well in the long run and further provide Karaba with more ammunition against him.

But Annie knew it was only a matter of time. The Esper Control Bill was made to essentially put a leash on espers to avoid increasing Karaba's ranks. That meant they could make registration mandatory, put espers in prison under grounds of public endangerment and do a very accurate rendition of the Belkan prison camps from the Belkan War. Annie had a low opinion of humanity in general as it is, but this would truly make her lose faith in humanity.

'I'll be damned if I let that happen to Darren and Brittany.' She thought. 'I'll kill each and every one of them that tries that on my friends!'

Annie and Grindor reached Brittany's house, where they went to the front door. After a few knocks, Brittany's mother, Sera, cracked open the door, looking more stressed than Annie had ever seen her.

"Y-You're one of Brittany's friends. Annie, right?" Sera whispered. Annie nodded.

"Yes, I just came to see how she was doing. I was there when she changed." Annie said.

"Oh," Sera's face fell. "I see. I'm sorry, but Brittany isn't seeing anyone right now."

Sera went to close the door, but Annie quickly stopped her, easily halting it with her mechanical hand.

"Ms. Ceres, please, I'm really worried about Brittany. I know she's scared and confused, and I just want to help her. She might open up to someone who…understands her."

Sera looked at Annie before opening the door wider and letting Annie in. "She's upstairs. She hasn't come out since yesterday. If you can at least get her to come down…please do your best."

Brittany's room was right down the hall from her parents' bedroom. It wasn't hard to miss, with pink hearts all over her door and a sign that said "Brittany's Room" written childishly in bright crayon. Setting Grindor down by her feet, Annie softly knocked on the door."

"Brit?" She said softly. "Brit, I know you can hear me. Please, talk to me."

A soft "go away" came from the other side of the door.

"I'm not leaving you when you clearly need help. I'm not going to hurt or judge you. I just want to help."

"How can you help me?" Brittany's muffled voice cried. "You aren't an esper! Your life isn't over!"

"Brit, I may not be an esper, but I have my fair share of secrets…and scars." Annie rubbed her gloved hand. "Brit, would you be more willing to speak if I told you that I knew a few espers myself. Espers like…Darren?"

Annie held her breath when she didn't hear anything behind the door. Then the door slowly opened and a bright green eye peeked out at her.

"What did you say?"

XXXXXX

Brittany's room was definitely girlier than Annie's. It was full of clothes, trendy boy band posters and what looked like a diary on her computer table (Annie almost giggled at that, but she held it in for Brittany's snake).

As for the girl herself, she was covered by a blanket that obscured her entire body, even her face. Annie hoed Grindor wasn't going to get on her case for spilling the beans, but she trusted Brittany to keep the secret.

"You said your brother is an esper?" Brittany asked underneath her covers.

"Yeah, he's a telekinetic. Born an esper." She said. "And so is Kevin. Penny was the only one that knew, but he told us too after a camping trip gone wrong."

Brittany was silent, so Annie took that as a sign to continue. "Brit, you aren't the only esper in school. You're not alone. You have Darren, Gina, Kevin, Penny…and me. You don't have to hide, not from me at least."

"Annie, I'm not…" Brittany hesitated. "I don't look normal. As in I look very different now."

"Well, I'm not normal either. You know the accident that took my eye? That wasn't all I lost." Annie reached under her shirt and pulled off the leather glove to reveal a smooth arm of black metal that glinted in the sunlight. Annie gave the shocked Brittany a sad smile. "Let me tell you how I got this little gem."

XXXXXX

Justine had never felt so out of her element in her life, and that was saying something. Of all the people to stop her from committing suicide (she really wasn't going to do it, but her morbid curiosity to see if her powers could keep her alive almost drove her to do it anyway) it had to be an Autobot. There were children at school who practically worshipped the Autobots, and here she was talking—well, not exactly talking but sitting next to one.

They were sitting together on the riverbank under the bridge in silence. Rodimus said nothing, knowing that she needed some space to think. He had no experience with these kinds of situations but he was astute enough to know that people like her were extremely delicate.

"So, you feeling okay now?" Rodimus asked.

"D-Depends on your definition of okay." Justine remarked.

"Okay then." Rodimus sighed and looked at the evening sun. "Look, I'm no expert on the human psyche, but I know you're having a very dark time right now."

"Then why don't you just leave me alone?" She whispered.

"Considering what you tried to do, I don't think that's the right thing to do right now." He said.

"I'm sure you have more i-important things to do than watch over a little girl." Justine looked away.

"Justine, I'm an Autobot. Saving lives is what I do." Rodimus grinned.

Justine just shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "Why would you even bother? I'm just one girl, an esper…a freak."

"You aren't a freak. You're just different, like every other esper on this planet. Doesn't mean you don't deserve to live any more than anybody else in this town." Rodimus said firmly. "Look, I know we literally just met, right? But you have a right to live, no matter what species you are. If I think you're worth saving, then that clearly means something right?"

"…I guess so." She muttered.

"Chin up, girl, you've got your whole life ahead of you." Rodimus smirked at her. "Let's start over. The name's Rodimus. Nice to meet you."

Justine smiled a little. "I'm Justine."

XXXXXX

Huddled up in her cocoon of sheets, Brittany stared at Annie in shock. Standing off to the side was Grindor, in his robot mode, nervously twiddling his fingers as the girls talked. Once Annie was done with her lengthy explanation of how she lost her arm and eye, Brittany couldn't barely think of anything to say.

"This is…my god." Brittany gasped. "You've done all those things, seen all those places…I can't believe it."

"Yeah, sometimes it seems unreal to me too." Annie smiled. "But then I look in the mirror and see that it's all real."

"Suddenly my problems seem to miniscule compared to what you've been through."

"No, your problems are no less important than mine. I've dealt with most of my demons, and now let me help you with yours." Annie sad, holding out her prosthetic hand.

Brittany paused for a moment before the sheets rustled and a hand reached out to grasp Annie's. Her hand was covered in golden, black-spotted fur and her fingers tipped with sharp claws. Gaining some courage, Brittany all owed the bedsheets to fall off her body to reveal her new appearance.

In Brittany's defense, she didn't look any different from when she was human. Her entire body was covered in a light coat of golden yellow fur with black spots, like a cheetah. Clad in only a thin tank top and shorts, Brittany's athletic figure was more muscular and defined, and her facial features, while still human-like, sported several feline features like cat ears, large green eyes and a flat nose. Even sitting down, Annie could tell that she was larger, probably about the same size as Gina.

"…What do you think?" Brittany asked nervously.

"Honestly?" Annie reached out with her real hand and grasped Brittany's furry one in hers. "Circumstances aside, I think you look really cool. In a cute, catgirl kind of way."

Brittany chuckled, wiping away a happy tear before it could fall, and reached out to take Annie's prosthetic hand in hers, feeling the smooth metal in her furry palm.

"If it's any consolation, I think you're robot arm is cool too." She said.

Grindor quietly transformed to his alt mode and rolled out of the room to let the girls have their moment.

XXXXXX

In the end, Annie and Brittany agreed that the latter will return to school in a few days. Brittany, her mood drastically improved after her talk with Annie, wanted to wait a bit to see if her new abilities had stabilized yet before trying to be around large groups of people. Walking into school looking like a humanoid cheetah would draw too much attention as it is.

After a reluctant goodbye between the girls, Annie and Grindor left a cheerful Brittany and her thankful parents behind, assured that things were going to work out for the most part.

Unfortunately for them, things were never that easy.

Not even a day later something happened that put everything to a screeching halt.

"Annie, Annie, wake up!"

Annie jerked awake to Darren yelling in her face, and she immediately knew that it was nowhere near time to wake up.

"Darren, it better be important or I'm shoving my robo-fist right up your—"

"It's Brittany." That was all it took to get Annie's attention. "Her house was just attacked down the street. The police and ambulance are there right now!"

XXXXXX

No one knew exactly what happened, only that a group of armed men stormed the house and took Brittany right out of her bed. Her parents tried to stop them, but her father was brutally beaten down while her mother was knocked unconscious. Brittany was dragged screaming from the house and thrown into a black van before being taken away, but not before the assailants threw a Molotov into the house and nearly starting a fire.

Annie, Darren and Debbie stood outside with the disguised High Wire and Grindor along with the other people in the neighborhood that had formed a crowd outside the vandalized house. Brittany's father was loaded into an ambulance, along with his sobbing wife. Annie looked over at the house and saw some smoke coming from the window on the first floor. Thankfully the fire hadn't spread, but there was still some damage.

"How did this happen?" Darren whispered, shaken by the incident. "We've never had violence against espers in Tranquility before."

"At least until those HF bastards rolled up into our town." Annie growled. Darren and Debbie looked surprised from the expression of pure anger on her face. They hadn't seen her look this enraged since almost losing Bulkhead to the insecticons. "They did this. They kidnapped Brit and now she's in trouble!"

"Hold on, Annie," Debbie said. "How could the Human Front even know where Brittany even live?"

Annie glared at her sister with a look of absolute hate. "I have an idea."

XXXXXX

Though there are many anti-esper organizations centered in Osea, the Human Front is the oldest, having its roots in the days where espers were a newly revealed public secret.

Forming twelve years ago, the Human Front had been a collection of intolerant thugs banding together because they were frightened of what the espers represented. As flashpoints of esper activations in large population centers in various states in Osea and cities across the world grew, fear of powered humans grew drastically. Crimes capped by designated PwPs (Persons with Powers) became all too common. And so, the League of Nations created the Esper Response Division to police espers in member nations as their numbers grew. And, of course, the senate drafting the Esper Registration Act and the eventual formation of the Esper Control Bill.

But this didn't deter the "righteous" cause of the fledgling Human Front.

It began with the death of an esper boy in Osea's Midwest—strung up, skinned, blooded and left for dead. From there it caught fire, at first only turning gangs of bigots into cells of organized fanatics. As their ranks bolstered, so did their access to resources. Eventually the Human Front grew from pockets of angry, non-powered zealots into a thriving, dangerous regiment of well-armed militants. The Human Front took root in Osea and spread across the world, attacking espers they felt were undermining humanity, with varying degrees of success. Espers fought back utilizing help from local, federal and global authorities. Karaba fought the Front and racked up a rather large kill count.

Those who survived decided to reinvent the group. As the world marched away from revolution and rage, it donned the suit and tie in order to reassert itself in boardrooms across the nation. So, too, did Melaine Crane. He redesigned the Front's sigil-a fist with a snake coiling around it—into a slick corporate logo, polishing the edges and retaining the fist. He put his people to work in dragging petitions, influencing legislation, and organizing in communities—a quieter form of infiltration, possibly even deadlier than the first. All of it was run by a man who, if he and the backward revolutionary drones shuffling through the Human Front offices had their way, would not hesitate to euthanize the entire esper population and order lunch.

Malcom personally had nothing against espers, but he knew of how dangerous they were, or could be. Men and women who could shoot energy blasts, read minds, turn into animals or even walking pillars of stone were people to look out for. Already there were many espers who abused their powers for selfish gain despite the measures taken to police espers by Osea and the world. it was hard to differentiate between who was good and who was bad.

For others like him, there was no difference. All espers were a danger and needed to be strictly controlled…or eliminated.

He heard what happened to Brittany Ceres. Abducted in the night by armed thugs. He heard whispers from people, that the HF did it, just like the murders. He didn't think his group had a hand in it, after all, the Human Front went to great lengths to distance themselves from death squads and work within the law. That didn't stop people from giving them a wide berth, like he was going to lynch them on the spot for saying something nice about espers or something. It got annoying really quick.

'They can talk all they want, it's not like they can prove anything.' Malcom thought bitterly. 'I'm completely guiltless.'

When school was over, Malcom anxiously left the building, a bit distracted by a sense of dread that had been creeping up on him all day. He thought he was just being overly paranoid…until he saw Annie standing at the front gates with a large, heavyset man standing behind her.

"Malcom," She said in a dark tone. "We need to talk."

XXXXXX

Malcom's back hit the brick wall hard from Annie's unusually strong push. He coughed a bit and glared at her.

"You HF freaks really don't learn, do you?" Annie said. "First you harass my friend and I, then you have the balls to actually go up and kidnap her? As if you people couldn't be any more backwards."

"Shut it, Annie, we didn't do anything!" Malcom growled.

"Not you personally, but you know what's going down." Annie leaned in, glaring down at him with eyes like sharp emeralds. "I've heard that the Human Front is having a little get-together tonight for something special. You know anything about that?"

"How did you—"

"You idiots probably shouldn't talk so loudly at your hot spots. Now answer the question, do you know what happened Brittany Ceres?"

"No, I don't. Seriously, Annie, the Human Front doesn't do stuff like that anymore." Malcom said.

"Not on the surface, no." Annie said.

"And I'm not going to blurt out HF secrets just because you're worried for your girlfriend. I'm sorry, but—"

Annie's hand grabbed his arm and squeezed painfully. Malcom screamed and fell to his knees as she continued squeezing on his bicep to the point where it felt like she was going to break bone. Annie's face was stone cold as she brought a boy taller than her to his knees.

"Don't worry, dimwit, I'm not going to rat you out to your boyfriend. But even you're smart enough to know that this is serious." Annie increased the pressure on his arm, making him scream louder. "My friend was just kidnapped by a group of armed thugs with a history for brutally murdering espers. If Brittany dies and your group is responsible, you better ran as fast as you can. Because whatever you skinheads did to her, I'll do to you tenfold."

Malcom shivered from her tone. Annie was going to make good on her threat. Weighing his options, he told her what he knew.

"I-I heard my friends talking about an HF rally for senior members of the group. I think it's down in the old factory district." He grunted. "That's all I know, I swear."

Annie hummed and let go of Malcom, pushing him to the ground. Just before she left, Annie looked down at him and said, "Breath a word of this to anyone and what I do to you will be on the 10'0 clock news for months. Got it?"

Malcom nodded, holding his still numb arm gingerly. With her work done, Annie walked away, already formulating a plan to save her friend.

XXXXXX

"Annie, this is beyond dangerous." Said Bulkhead. The girl in his driver's seat wasn't deterred from her course.

"No more dangerous than what we usually do, Bulk." Annie muttered, clad in a black bodysuit with a mask covering her mouth.

"I know, but this stuff is a bit too close to home. If they see your face—"

"They won't see a thing, Bulk. Just drop it."

"But—"

"Save it, Bulkhead. She's dead set on this." Darren said, also wearing a black bodysuit.

Bulkhead could only sigh and keep driving.

It was late at night as Bulkhead drove through Tranquility's factory district. Darren and Annie were in the front seat, full prepared for their first covert operation that wasn't on the books.

Wanting to involve as little people as possible, Annie only told Darren and Bulkhead of her rescue plan. She left Grindor and High Wire to cover for them to keep Debbie off their back. Bulkhead was reluctant to help them, of course, not very eager to get involved in human matters, but Darren agreed to help her with no hesitation. He knew how serious this was and how much this girl meant to her. She needed their help and she was going to get it.

Darren looked down at the golden hammer strapped to Annie's waist under her coat. "Isn't bringing Mjolnir a bit overkill?"

"Nope." Annie said and left it at that.

Bulkhead pulled up to the meeting place for the rally. It turned out to be a large factory building located near a couple of unused warehouses. He drove near the back entrance of the warehouse and let the twins out.

"I don't like this one bit, I know you two will be careful. If something goes wrong, I'm busting in for you, secrecy be damned!" Bulkhead said.

"I know, Bulkhead. We'll watch our backs." Annie said and got out with Darren.

The twins fixed their masks over their mouths and raised their hoods before giving each other a nod and running into the darkness.

XXXXXX

The twins snuck in through the back entrance, easy with the assistance of Darren's powers. Mjolnir felt light against her waist as Annie ran down the hall on the second floor to the main hall where the rally was taking place.

The factory floor was packed wall to wall with people. They were all facing a stage set up at the far end of the factory where machinery would normally be placed, eagerly waiting for the show to begin. Darren and Annie stood hidden on the upper scaffolding watching the crowd from above.

"I never knew Tranquility had so many people who hated espers." Darren whispered.

"Well now you know who to look out for." Annie said.

Suddenly the crowd cheered as someone walked onto the stage, wearing all black with the Human Front logo on his jacket. It was Louis. Annie's hand clenched tightly into a fist as the man calmly walked onto the stage, wearing that same infuriating smirk. He waved to the crowd and began to speak.

"Welcome, brothers and sisters of humanity. I hope you've all had a wonderful night, because I certainly have." Louis said. "Our quest is for humanity's liberation from the nonhuman menace that seeks to dominate and destroy us. We constantly hide in fear of espers and our government is too busy handing our planet over to alien invaders to care. So it falls to us to defend our rights as human beings and fight back the nonhuman scourge!"

The crowd roared their approval as Louis smiled and took a step back.

"Our fight against the espers will be a long one. Already they invade every aspect of our regular lives. Not even our schools are safe from them, as several espers have appeared in schools all over the mid-west, including Tranquility. One of whom has already assaulted me in public." He continued. "We must stop this infection at the source before they corrupt our youth and feed their heads with lies!"

Annie growled and nearly threw Mjolnir at him had Darren not held her arm to keep her still. Louis retreated a bit as more HF members armed with assault rifles and shotguns dragged three people out onto the stage. One was a terrified high school student with large bat wings, the second was a girl that was wrapped in heavy chains and gagged, and the last was…Brittany!

Annie's heart froze. Brittany was back in human form, her clothes hanging off her in shreds, stretched from her abrupt transformation. It was clear this wasn't voluntary as she appeared to be struggling with a small metal collar on her neck.

"That's an inhibitor collar. I've seen the ERD use them to restrain espers. Those things are very expensive to make and are regulated by the Department of Superhuman Defense." Darren whispered. "What the hell are these nutjobs doing with them?"

"Who cares? Brit's up there and in danger!" Annie hissed and moved, only for Darren to push her back.

"Annie, we need to wait. It's two of us against those guys with assault rifles and I'm just barely good enough to handle multiple gunshots from all directions. We need a distraction." He said.

Down below, Louis continued his speech. "These freaks of nature are only a small fraction of the esper scourge seeping into our schools like a festering disease. This young man sports the typical features of a devil, wings and all, just like the monster he is." He pointed to the girl. "This little girl has the strength of ten men a walking danger to young children everywhere who can easily break your bones in a heartbeat."

He walked over to Brittany, who glared up at him hatefully. "And this girl can change into a cheetah, savage and uncontrollable. So strong is her urge to kill that she attacked me in front of a school!"

Brittany's head shot up and slammed into his nose. Louis stumbled back and backhanded her across the face, blood leaking from his nose. The crowd booed at her, yelling heinous insults and jeers. Annie wanted to rip his head off.

"Tonight, we will rightfully purge this town of its infestation and show this proud nation that we have nothing to fear from espers!" Louis bellowed. The three kids were forced to their knees as the gunmen got into position behind them.

"Annie, see those pipes over there?" Darren pointed across the factory to a row of huge, cast-iron power turbines lining the wall near the stage. "I'm going to make them explode and create a steam cover for us. You go get Brittany and the others, then have Bulkhead call the police."

Annie nodded. "Works for me."

They split up. Annie made her way towards the stage while Darren quietly jumped down to the first level and pushed his way through the crowd to reach the turbines. Once he was close enough, he reached out with his senses and focused on the turbines. A quick burst of power caused the pipes to rupture, releasing water and steam into the air. Darren telekinetically guided the steam to spew out all over the panicked crowd, covering the entire area in a thick cloud of mist.

Confused and blind, the people began to panic, pushing and shoving each other as they ran for the exits. On the stage Louis scowled as he was also obscured by the thick cloud of vapor and quickly left the stage with his security detail.

Annie knew that it was now or never. She jumped onto the stage and released Mjolnir, throwing it at the first person she saw. The hammer slammed into the man's chest, shattering his rifle like glass and sending him into the guy behind him. The third man took aim at her but a quick command to Mjolnir sent the hammer slamming into his back, throwing him forward right into Annie's boot.

Brittany and the other two espers stared at their savior with shocked expressions, totally not expecting that dazzling display of efficient brutality. Annie holstered Mjolnir and ran over to them.

"Let's get started on ditching these things, shall we?" Annie said and got to work on breaking Brittany's collar. While she worked on it, Brittany managed to get a glimpse under her hood and spotted those vibrant green eyes that she recognized immediately.

"Annie?"

A big smile spread across Brittany's face and as soon as her cuffs and collar were broken she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the younger girl.

XXXXXX

Once Annie got the prisoners free, she, along with Brittany, Molly (the super strong girl), and Thomas (the devil boy) left the steam filled factory through the side entrance that the twins entered through earlier. Leading the espers down the fire escape, Annie led them down the alley when she heard a shout from behind.

"Freeze!"

Annie and the espers froze and turned around to see Louis standing at the mouth of the alley with six armed gunmen. Annie cursed, knowing that even with Mjolnir there was no way she could take them all down without getting shot.

"Did you think I'd let you just run off after ruining my execution?" Louis growled, pointing his handgun at Annie. "I don't know who you are, but you're a damn fool for interfering with the Human Front's noble work!"

"There's nothing noble about murdering innocent people. You're sneaking about in the shadows kidnapping and lynching people for god's sake!" Annie shouted. "You're going against the law!"

"It's not illegal if they're not human. I'm just preserving the human stock of this town by eliminating the genetic mistakes that threaten the good people in this town." Louis replied. "I'm hardly the only one doing it. I share my mission with people all over the country who are sick of being oppressed by these monsters."

"You're just a racist who thinks he's accomplishing something." Annie snorted. "You think you're getting away with this? The cops are already on their way as we speak!"

The gunmen looked at each other nervously, not expecting that response, but Louis wasn't perturbed. "You filthy little race traitor! I can still get away and I'll put you and those freaks down before then. You need to understand that there's no place for espers in this world!"

The ground under the gunmen suddenly exploded, large chunks of rock throwing them in every direction. Sheets of metal speared from the windows and wrapped around them, pinning them to the ground or to the walls. Louis stumbled and spun around, firing his gun wildly as he tried to see who attacked them.

"Where are you?" Louis growled. The gun in his end suddenly exploded, embedding sharp pieces of plastic in his hand. "Gah!"

Seeing an opening, Brittany sprinted forward, her body shifting into her hybrid cheetah form as she leapt at Louis and kicked him in the chest. The blow was hard enough to crack stone and the man bounced along the ground twice before rolling to a stop, already knocked out from the impact.

"I wouldn't count us out just yet." Brittany said, standing over his bruised form.

XXXXXX

"I would miss the action while I'm in town." Rodimus grumbled as he sat on the riverbank by the bridge.

He heard about the craziness that occurred the previous night. The police arrested several Human Front members after a failed public execution of kidnapped espers in the factory district. Accounts from the rescued esper children and a rather conveniently placed recording of Louis's speech practically confessing his association with and his intent to murder these children were enough to put him behind bars for a long time. This was on top of illegal possession of weapons and ERD devices. The espers were reunited with their families, but no one could find the two brave souls who saved them anywhere.

"Gotta say, those twins are crazier than me." Rodimus sighed. "And that's saying something."

"This…Darren and Annie were able to do this?" Justine said softly. "All by themselves?"

"Of course? Those two are a handful. Hanging out with us tends to make people a little unconventional in several ways." He said brightly. "It's nuts when you think about it."

Justine looked down at the river, thinking back on the story. Darren and Annie, two children, were able to fight off multiple armed thugs all by themselves, and Annie didn't even have any powers. And yet here she was, sporting more raw power than Darren and yet she was barely able to control it.

The next time she saw him, she needed to learn more from him. Just learning how to control her powers wasn't enough. Justine wanted to learn how to defend herself with them. She didn't want to be a victim anymore.

"Hey," Justine looked up at Rodimus. "What are you thinking about so hard down there?"

Justine looked out towards the river and smile. "How to make myself stronger."

XXXXXX

Afterschool the next day, Annie visited Brittany's house. It was still being fixed up, but things were already looking up for Brittany and Ceres after knowing that her father was going to be alright.

The girls spent their afternoon in Brittany's room, just having a private moment to themselves with no boys (human or Minicon).

"So you still plan on going back to school?" Annie asked. "It's going to be hell, you know. Everyone's split on you being an esper, and a lot of kitty-related names are going to be thrown around."

"I know, but I'm not running away from this. I think I can handle a few kids now that I'm stronger and faster. These muscles aren't just for show, you know." Brittany flexed her biceps with a wink at Annie, who laughed.

"I can see that." Annie said appreciatively.

Brittany smiled and took Annie's hand in hers. "Annie, I can't even begin to explain how thankful I am. Last night I thought I was going to die, and then you and your brother just swoop in like…like the Neo Knights!"

"I'd say the Neo Knights are actual professionals in this stuff. Darren and I are a semi-coherent unit at best." Annie said modestly, a first for her. "I'm just glad you're safe. I—I mean I'm glad everyone's safe, really! Including you…especially you."

Brittany laughed and pulled Annie into a strong hug. Blushing furiously, Annie hugged her back, trying not to focus on how soft Brittany's fur was as she felt a strong flutter in her chest.

'Was this what Gina felt like when she was in love?'

* * *

**I loved writing this chapter. Not often you see Annie's softer side. Justine makes a new friend and realizes that she needs to be stronger if she wants to make ****it through in this world. Next chapter will on Gina and Sureshock as they uncover the origins of Gina's horrid nightmares. Be sure to check out the official ****Transformers Titan website on Wordpress. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	16. Dark Mirror

Chapter 16-Dark Mirror

Dr. Allyn Prosper sat in the back of his car with a scowl no his old face. His personal (among other things) assistant, Professor Elisabeth Miranda was at the wheel driving his unassuming black Mustang down the street at full speed. In contrast to his calm demeanor, Miranda's beautiful features were stressed, her usually meticulously made up face sweaty and scowling.

He wished he could comfort her, tell her it was going to be alright. But they both knew that his chances of surviving past tonight were very slim. She kept glancing at the rear view mirror to see if they lost their pursuers, who were probably blood smears on the street after that act of rather stunning automobile acrobatics a mile back.

"Eyes on the road, my dear. And don't mind the red lights. Nobody's usually out this late at night." Prospero said.

"Doctor," Miranda's beautiful hazel eyes shown with visible worry as her voice remained calm. "I doubt we can shake them as easily as that."

"I know. I'm surprised they gave up so quickly." Prospero sighed. "Something isn't right."

Dr. Bergen had warned him of this. You don't just say no to these people unless you have the means to make them back off. A series of major setbacks had made them more brutal than usual and right now Prospero was wondering if he made a very huge mistake.

An explosion of blue energy abruptly ended his thought process. Miranda cursed and swerved a bit to avoid hitting a lamp post and slid to a stop.

"Are they firing RPGs at us?" She asked.

"No, something far worse." He replied grimly.

From the smoke, a figure emerged. It was a girl, though, her face was concealed by a helmet with a green tinted visor and she wore a dark green bodysuit. A ring of energy surrounded her body as she slowly walked towards the fleeing scientists and energy bolts crackled around her like thunderbolts.

"What…is that a child?" Miranda whispered.

"A child trained to kill, it seems." Prospero said. "Miranda…"

"Yes, doctor."

Miranda quickly spun the car around and drove down the street at full speed. The mysterious girl also gave pursuit, sprinting down the street at superhuman speed. The halo around her body emitted a chain of energy spheres that tore apart everything they touched.

Prospero was warned about this too. Inhumans with great destructive power and superhuman physiology. His chances of escape were rapidly increasing by the second, though the thought didn't bring him much sadness. For Miranda, however…

'They don't know her involvement in this, not yet at least.' He thought, reaching for the case in his lap. 'I'm a dead man, but if I let Miranda escape, then I can die in peace.'

The girl continued running after the car, and Miranda was unable to completely shake her. She pushed off the ground in a tremendous leap and lunged at the car. Though it seemed she would catch it, Prospero was read with a weapon of his own.

"You will not have me!" He roared. On his shoulder was a rocket launcher, already loaded and ready to fire.

He shot the rocket at her the same time she came at them and two things happened at once. First, the girl's energy halo destroyed the rear axel of the car and it sent it crashing onto the sidewalk. Second, the rocket managed to hit the girl's helmet, engulfing her body in flames.

"Come on, come on!" Miranda's voice grew increasingly more panicked as she tried to start the car.

"Miranda," Prospero put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "I'm not getting away."

"No, I refuse to accept that!" Miranda cried, but he tightened his grip on her.

"Miranda, that rocket only slowed her down. She will still come for me, but not for you." He said. "My death will come tonight, but I will not let you suffer as well."

He looked out of his damaged car and saw that same girl walking out of the flames. Aside from the top half of her bodysuit nearly being burned away, she was mostly unharmed.

"She's only here for me. She doesn't know who you are. Get out and run." He urged, but she refused.

"No, doctor! We can still make it!" She cried. "The Autobots, they can—"

"I'm afraid even the Autobots won't make it in time. I know it hurts, Miranda, but I refuse to drag you down anymore into this than I already have. One of us has to live to continue our work and it's you."

Miranda looked away, tears streaming down her face. "Doctor…Allyn, I—"

"I know." Prospero smiled. "I do too."

He patted her hand once before leaving the damaged car and bravely walking down the street to face his executioner. As he got closer to the girl, he saw that she was no older than a pre-teen, and that the rocket only did serious damage to her outfit. Any burns on her skin were mostly healed.

"They must have been serious when they sent you. I don't know what I did to anger your masters, but I refuse to run any longer!" Prospero said.

The girl said nothing, though he did notice her eyes briefly flicker towards the car before returning to him.

"Were you waiting for me?" He asked.

She said nothing, but he knew he was right."

"Very well," He said. "Make it quick."

"…I will." Said Gina Harkins, her eyes glowing with power. In a flash, Dr. Prospero was engulfed in a halo of light and was vaporized on the spot.

"NO!"

Gina shot up in her bed with a scream, panting and sweating. She smelled something burning and looked up to see two holes burned into her roof in her panic.

She barely heard Sureshock's concerned questions as she looked at her hands. Her vision swam and they were coated in blood for a split second before returning to normal. Gina gave a soft whimper and began to cry.

XXXXXX

The next morning was absolutely terrible for Gina. She felt tired, which was odd considering she rarely got exhausted unless she really pushed herself. It didn't stop her from feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted, though. The nightmares really got to her, and her friends noticed the changes in her behavior.

"You still having those nightmares?" Penny asked at lunch. "I thought you were good last week."

"I thought so too. Apparently not." Gina sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose under her glasses. Darren rubbed her back and gave her a kiss on the forehead that made her feel a _little _better.

"Was it the same dream?" He asked.

"It's always the same dream. I'm ruthlessly hunting down some person before brutally murdering them. And I remember every single detail." Gina said.

"But that's all these are, Gina. Nightmares. Dreams." Kevin said. "Maybe it's caused by all the fighting you've been doing last year. Darren and Annie have nightmares too."

"Except the people I kill in my dreams are actually dead in real life. I've checked." She said.

"But it's obvious that you didn't kill these people. You were in bed the whole night, Sara can attest to that." Annie said.

"So something else might be happening here." Darren said.

"But what? What can we do about a bunch of realistic nightmares?" Gina asked helplessly. "I doubt the Cons dabble in dream trolling."

"Maybe, maybe not." Penny shrugged. "Maybe we're dealing with a telepath instead."

"A telepath?" Gina rubbed her chin in thought. That might be a possible cause, but no proof to back it up.

Before she could think any further on it, Brianna walked up to their table. "Howdy guys! Got any room for a wayward traveler?"

"Yes!"

"No."

Darren and Gina spoke at the same time and looked at each other with differing expressions. Unperturbed, Brianna sat at their table, wordlessly pushing Annie aside to sit next to Darren.

"So how's everybody doing today?" She asked.

"Meh." Annie shrugged. "Same as we'll ever be. I just can't wait for school break to get here…oh yeah, Gina's having nightmares."

"Sure, Annie, just blurt it out to the whole freaking world!" Gina growled. She didn't want to show weakness in front of this floozy!

"Nightmares?" A strange look fell across Brianna's face before she covered it up with a smile. "No wonder you look so haggard. I honestly thought you were getting crow's feet or something. That'd be bad for a girl your age."

Penny sucked in a breath and groaned. Gina looked dangerously close to punching a hole in Brianna's face, but Darren cut in to avoid any more tension rising.

"So how's life treating you, Brianna? You enjoy it here in Tranquility?" Darren asked.

"Oh, I love it here! The atmosphere is nice, the town's not too small to feel like you're in the middle of nowhere and I had no idea that there were so many sweet sights here." Brianna smiled sweetly at Darren. "And having friends is a plus too."

"Happy to make you feel at home." Darren smiled.

Annie tried hard not to grin at Gina's demonic expression.

"If it makes you feel any better, Gina, I'm having dreams of my own too." Brianna said. "Nothing as serious as nightmares, but they do keep me up at night."

"I'm sure they do." Gina said and stood up. "If you'll excuse me, Brianna, I need to get going. Don't want to be late for class."

Gina walked away from the table, dumping her untouched lunch into the trash along the way. Brianna frowned and turned to Darren.

"I don't think your girlfriend likes me very much, Darren." She said.

"Gina's been having it rough lately. Sorry if she's a bit testy." Darren said.

Brianna nodded and glanced at Gina's back. Something told her that these weren't normal nightmares, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

XXXXXX

After school, Gina and Sara decided to visit Doctor Stephanie Bergen, the woman who used to work with Theo and was one of the lead researchers behind OZ's Inhuman Project. After the whole Inhuman debacle, she essentially erased who she was, taking on a new identity and job while also dying her hair. Oddly enough, OZ still had yet to make any attempts at kidnapping or killing her.

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Doctor Bergen." Gina said.

"Call me Stephanie. I'm a professor now, so the whole doctor thing is useless to me now." Stephanie said, taking a puff from her cigarette.

'Should she be smoking inside a college?' Gina wondered.

"So what can I do for you, Gina?"

"When you were experimenting with the inhumans, did they display any powers aside from the distortion halo effect?" Gina asked hesitantly. She knew that Stephanie was still a bit sensitive about her role in the Inhuman project, even though the woman didn't show it.

Stephanie gave Gina an unreadable look as she took another puff before answering. "I've spent weeks monitoring the tests done on the inhumans. Testing their physical capabilities, their resilience to weapons and chemical agents, the destructive capabilities of the distortion halo effect, all of it. I know their powers inside and out, though you've seem to have learned a couple of new things yourself."

"Okay, but has there ever been an inhuman with telepathic powers?" She inquired further.

"Telepathy? Not that I know of." Stephanie said. "But then again…you are something of a special case, so there might be something similar going on."

She looked at Gina critically. To date, Gina was the only child to have become an inhuman, and the differences in her activation sequence were very evident. Because Gina wasn't an adult, the catalyst, the crystalline agent that changes a human into an inhuman, merged quicker with her still developing body, growing and maturing within her at a steady rate. Aside from looking slightly older, Gina was no different from a regular human in terms of appearance.

"There's still a lot about inhumans that we don't know about. Your abilities are a lot more refined and controlled than the average inhuman. And I have no idea if Pisces is still refining the process himself." Stephanie said. "I'm no psychologist, but these dreams you're having is probably nothing that's your fault. You're just on the receiving end. There might be someone else out there you're dreaming about instead.

"So you're saying that I'm mentally connected with another inhuman." Gina whispered, wringing her hands nervously. Stephanie nodded. "How?"

"You may have torched his ability to produce the catalyst, but Pisces can still create more inhumans. If you're having another reaction to another inhuman like this, then I can only theorize that this person might have been made in a manner similar to yours."

Gina paled. It didn't take her long to realize that maybe the inhuman she was connected with was that the inhuman was possibly like her. Pisces was experimenting on children.

XXXXXX

"Hey, Gina, you get any answers?"

Bumblebee's sickeningly upbeat tone was met with a tired groan from Gina as she and Sara plopped into his seats.

"I'll take that as a no."

"The only thing that visit did for me was raise more questions. Stephanie said that it might be m powers because of how I was enhanced." Gina said.

"Maybe that's it. We know next to nothing about inhuman children, especially how they grow. This whole thing might just be a result of you gaining more powers."

"You don't understand, Bee. Those dreams aren't just dreams. I'm looking through someone else's eyes, seeing what they see, hearing what they hear. I remember every single detail as if I was there myself." Gina said, rubbing her forehead. She remembered everything, even the brutal deaths of all those people. "I'm losing sleep at night and I'm getting really sick of having a new pair of holes in my ceiling."

"We will find the answers, Gina. It will just take time." Sara said, grasping Gina's hand. Gina gave her a little smile and held her hand tighter.

"So where do we go now?" Bumblebee asked.

"I only recognize one place from my dream, Ravenswoode." Gina said. "I might get some answers there."

XXXXXX

Some inkling of Gina's psyche wished that she was wrong about Ravenswoode. After replaying the events of last night over and over, she just wanted it to be some bad dream and just label the whole mess as her powers evolving. The universe was rarely that merciful.

"My god." Gina whispered.

Seconds after leaving the ground bridge and entering the lone town, the trio could already see signs of a fierce battle…or massacre. Police and ERD vans were posted everywhere and various sections of the town were totally destroyed, showing blast craters, destroyed cars, etc. Gina recognized the signs of a distortion halo effect—concrete and metal were warped as if superheated under high temperatures.

"This is where it all takes place." Gina said. "Down this street, I, or whoever it was, had chased them down and murdered a man."

"Who was killed?" Bumblebee asked softly.

"Dr. Allyn Prospero, a member of the Osean military's weapons development program. He's very high up the board and armor was in the process of creating long range anti-armor weapons like the railgun and chemical laser cannon." Sara said.

"A high-tech weapons development official…sounds like someone OZ could be interested in." Bumblebee said.

"Knowing them, they probably already gave him their phone number." Gina said bitterly. "Too bad he got knocked off."

"Not entirely. Prospero's assistant, Professor Elisabeth Miranda was also with him the night he died, but she survived." Sara said. "After the incident, she withdrew from the public eye and retreated to the manor she and Prospero lived in after police inquiry."

"They lived together?"

Sara looked a bit sheepish at that. "Rumor has it that Prospero and Miranda's relationship was less professional in their off hours."

"Well, looks like we know where to go." Gina said and the girls got back into Bumblebee. "Step on it, Bee, I think we finally have something."

XXXXXX

Prospero's manor resided on land he owned on the other side of town. According to the few who he allowed entry onto his property, Prospero also continued his work in solitude away from the lab as well. Miranda also had a room within and many people believed they were lovers (age differences aside). This was proven credible with Miranda's hysterical reaction to his death.

There was only one dirt road leading to the residence from town. Bumblebee took the girls out of town and up the road. It didn't take very long for them to be deep in the forest.

"So what's your plan?" Bumblebee asked. "I'm pretty sure Miranda won't leave her house to speak to one girl."

"I'm hoping she'll speak to an Autobot. I'm sure she'll give you some time if you mention that you're here on official Autobot business." Gina said.

"I'm not sure Prowl's going to like that."

"Prowl's not here. And I'm sick of running around blind. Something's going on here and I'm going to find out why I'm being dragged into it." She replied.

As they drove up the road, a black car came down the opposite direction. Bumblebee and the girls paid it no mind, which was a big mistake, for if they had, they would've noticed that the car had no driver.

It was only by chance that Sara caught wind of this, and by then it was too late. "Bumblebee!"

Her cry came seconds before the car exploded right next to them. Bumblebee grunted and was sent tumbling off the road, rolling over twice before ejecting Gina and Sara from his seats and changing into bipedal mode. His back hit a tree as he held the girls protectively in his arms.

"Slag," Bumblebee hissed. He showed no visible damage but the explosion still hurt. "Girls, are you okay?"

He asked that not because he thought they were hurt (they could definitely handle being inside a falling Autobot) but because they looked a bit shaken from the surprise attack.

"We're fine, Bee." Gina said and adjusted her glasses. "What was that?"

"I think that was a car bomb." Sara said. She hopped down from Bumblebee's arm and looked around. "Be on your guard. There might be more surprises."

Bumblebee looked up and pointed at something. "Like that one?"

The girls looked to the sky and saw a large shape hovering above the trees. When it began to descend, the trio jumped apart as its large form crashed to the ground. Bumblebee deployed his stingers and stood in front of the girls.

The object was a humanoid robot with a hunched frame with heavy armor on its arms and legs. Two machine guns were mounted on both sides of its head, which consisted of a single ruby red sensory eye.

"What is that?" Sara asked.

"It's not a talos. I'd recognize a model like that." Gina said. "I think it's a drone."

"In that case, I don't have to hold back!" Bumblebee charged forward at the drone, which opened fire on him with its shoulder cannons. Bumblebee was faster than the drone, but the robot was stronger. Though Bumblebee blasted chunks of its armor off, it barely paid him any attention, instead focusing on Gina.

"Why is that thing looking at me?" Gina asked nervously. Suddenly the drone sprinted at her and Sara. "Jinkies!"

It fired its machine guns at her, but she and Sureshock jumped apart. It made to follow Gina, but Bumblebee jumped on its back and blasted its machine guns apart with his stingers. The drone thrashed its body to throw him off, but the scout continued firing away, blasting off an arm this time. It grabbed the scout and threw him into a tree before charging at Gina.

At this point, Gina had enough of all of this and let her frustration take over. "What do you want from me?" She shouted.

Her eyes glowed and a distortion halo erupted around the drone, blasting its body apart. Gina barely held back from taking off its head, wanting to know who the hell sent this thing to kill her.

The inoperable drone crashed to the ground, little more than a smoking pile of metal and circuits.

"Sara, trace its signal back to the operator." Gina commanded, he voice colder than a glacier. "If this is OZ's handiwork, I'm going to paint this town red!"

XXXXXX

It was OZ.

Despite the operator's best attempts to block Sara's backhacking, the Minicon managed to trace the signal to one place—Prospero's manor.

It was a nice little abode, surprisingly homey for a man workers often described as "prickly." Bumblebee and Sara tracked the signal to a modified bomb shelter just a few feet away from the manor. After dealing with automated defenses consisting of missile launchers and artillery guns of all things, Gina blasted a hole in the bunker all the way down to its interior, where they found Elisabeth Miranda, shaken and terrified, pointing a gun right at her.

"Come to finish the job, you monster?" Miranda growled.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who sent a drone to kill us!" Gina shouted.

Miranda shook her head. "No, not the Autobot or your friend…only you. You'd think I'd forget the face of the bitch who killed Allyn?"

'Face? What is she ranting about?' Gina wondered and took a step forward, but the woman jerked her gun.

"Don't move, monster! Allyn told me about your kind, the inhumans. Your skin may be able to withstand small caliber bullets, but even your skin isn't strong enough to withstand diamond tipped AP rounds!"

Gina scowled; one new fact learned about inhumans is that their skin, which is capable of taking the full force of small arms fire, was vulnerable to sharp and durable objects like diamond and adamantium, which could do some damage to their flesh.

Sara stepped in front of Gina with a hard gaze, her hand lashing out to ensnare Miranda's wrist in a tight grip that threatened to break her wrist. Miranda screamed, dropping the gun and was forced to her knees by the android.

"No one points a gun at Gina in front of me." Sara said, her voice practically a hiss.

"You're one of them, aren't you? Those bastards who keep hounding us for weapons!" Miranda screams, almost hysterical now. "You won't get me!"

"Shut up!" Gina roared, shocking everyone into silence. "Sara, let her go please."

Sara reluctantly did so and Gina knelt down in front of her.

"Ms. Miranda, please, we don't mean you any harm. I don't know who these people you spoke of are, but if they are who I think they are, then there's a good chance we both have the same enemy." Gina said softly. "I'm as much of a victim here as you are. Please, let us help you."

Miranda glared at Gina weakly before her shoulders sagged and all the fight left her. Gina smiled and helped the woman to her feet.

"It's time we had a talk."

XXXXXX

Back outside, Miranda agreed to tell them her story. Realizing the girl she tried to kill wasn't Prospero's murderer, all the anger in her heart was burnt out, leaving only a tired, scared and grieving woman behind.

"Last year Dr. Prospero and I were contacted by two men. They would tell who they worked for, but they did say they were interested in funding out work on autonomous robots."

"Drones." Bumblebee said. Miranda nodded.

"Yes, you see, despite being one of the country's top weapons designers, Dr. Prospero hated war. And he hated the idea of sending brave men and women off to fight and die in wars that had nothing to do with them at the behest of politicians who had no stake in it." She said. "He began furthering Osea's drone research to limit soldiers' time in the field and lessen casualties."

"That's impossible. War is always going to have a human element no matter what we do." Gina said.

"Was that drone you sent after us the result of his work?" Sara asked.

"Yes, those men invested a lot into our project, even coming up with design specs. But the more involved we got with them, the more we realized these people might not have our best interests at heart."

"So you and Prospero broke it off with these men." Bumblebee deduced.

"After someone on the inside warned us away, we broke off contact and threatened to go to the government if they tried anything. They didn't look too happy, but they didn't seem too concerned about our defection either." Miranda sighed and rubbed her aching forehead. "I thought we were free, but they were just biding their time for the right moment to take us out."

"And that girl they sent after you was their grim reaper." Gina bit her lip nervously as she gave her question. "Ms. Miranda, what did you mean when you said that she came back for you? Why did you attack me?"

"It's because…you two looked so alike. The hair, the eyes, your build…that power." Miranda said shakily. "I only caught a glimpse of her face, but she looked a lot like you."

Gina didn't know what to say. A girl that looked like her? What did that mean? Sara saw her distress and placed an arm around her shoulders. She sent a look at Bumblebee, who decided to wrap this up.

"The two men you spoke to, did you know where they came from? Any company that might be in on this?" He asked.

"Maybe one." Miranda answered. "I think they had some connections to Epsilon Holdings"

Gina's body tense up like a snake about to strike. She almost scowled, but reined her temper in and took a deep breath. She smiled politely at Miranda and stood up.

"Thank you for your help, Ms. Miranda. You've been a great help to us."

"That's it?" Miranda asked confused. "Don't you want to hear more?"

"Unfortunately, we're already familiar with the people you've ran into. We can handle things from here." Gina said. "Please be careful and watch yourself."

XXXXXX

"That bastard!"

Gina's enraged roar was followed by a tree trunk exploding. Bumblebee stepped back nervously as the tree collapsed next to him.

"I should have known those bastards had a hand in this. it seems like everything wrong with the world is because of OZ!" Gina yelled.

"Gina, calm down—"

"Don't tell me to be calm. I'm sick and tired of those monsters dragging me into their mess!" Gina screamed. She huffed a bit before leaning back against a tree and sliding down to the ground. "I still don't know what these dreams are, and now OZ is deploying some freaking living weapon that looks like me. What else?"

"Gina, we do not know everything." Sara said. "Perhaps this is unrelated."

"No, they're connected somehow." Gina growled. "God, what if those monsters cloned me somehow?"

"Is that possible?" Bumblebee asked.

"OZ has Thornment sponsoring them. After that mess with the headmasters, anything's possible."

Bumblebee frowned and walked over to Gina, tapping her shoulder with a finger. "Gina, we've not lost yet. We still have a lead."

"He is right." Sara nodded. "But it is getting late. Perhaps we should head back home."

Gina nodded sadly as Bumblebee transformed to vehicle mode and she got in with Sara. Maybe getting some rest will clear her mind for what's to come.

XXXXXX

Miranda gave a weary sigh as she went back into her house. She almost came close to killing that girl…and an Autobot too! The last thing she wanted was to piss off the Autobots because of a case of mistaken identity.

'Still, it's curious at how alike those two girls look. I know I wasn't imagining it. They looked similar enough to be sisters!' Miranda thought.

Filing that thought away, Miranda went back to work on her security systems. Prospero had left her everything he owned, a final gift for her in case anything happened to him. She knew he rewired his home with every anti-intruder system he pilfered from the Army's R&D department and hoped it would be enough to stop anyone who wished to do them harm.

Miranda was about to prepare some tea when she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it this time? I thought they were done."

Thinking it was the girl and her robot friends, Miranda got up to answer the door. But when she opened it, she was met with an emerald green faceplate and cold blue eyes staring at her.

Before she could even scream, the girl's hand shot forward and punched through her chest, impaling her on her arm. The woman coughed up blood and slowly died on the assassin's arm, slumping forward and going still.

The girl pulled her arm out and let Miranda's body drop to the floor. Her expression was hidden behind her blank visor as she stared at the corpse.

The tea kettle began to hiss and whistle, unattended.

XXXXXX

"I'm telling you, Armorhide, she was really spooked. Like, 'I haven't slept in seven days' spooked." Bumblebee said.

"You mean like Red Alert during a fire drill?" Armorhide said.

"Yeah…well, maybe a little below that." Bumblebee sighed. "It's really unnerving to see a strong girl like Gina fall to pieces like that. If she wasn't an inhuman, she'd have passed out from the stress."

"Bee, I'm no expert when it comes to these things, but honestly, I think the answers you're looking for will come find you instead." Armorhide said. "At least that's how it usually works in these situations."

Bumblebee scoffed. "Please, Armorhide, we're not that lucky."

He went to go refill his drink and that's when he noticed Gina standing in the doorway to the rec room. She was in her pajamas and looked haunted as if waking up from a nightmare. Or something worse.

"Miranda's dead." She said softly. Bumblebee's eyes widened.

"What?" He said. "Wha-how? Are you sure?"

The look Gina sent him made him clamp up immediately and even made Armorhide shiver. "I just know."

XXXXXX

After hearing about Miranda's death, Gina finally had enough. The following day, when night came, Gina gathered up Sara, Sureshock, Jolt and Bumblebee for a mission of her own.

Their only lead was the Epsilon Holdings facility that Prospero and Miranda had been in contact with. Gina knew that Epsilon Holdings was a public cover for Pisces, who ran the company under the alias of Laguna Harvey.

They took a ground bridge to the facility, which was a building made for field testing military talos in combat situations. It was a convenient cover for a convenient location.

"Here it is." Bumblebee said, letting Gina and the Minicons out before shifting to robot mode. Looking to the sky, he called up to Jolt. "How's it looking up there, Jolt?"

"Everything's clear! No sign of any security guards or drones." Jolt said.

"That's odd." Sureshock said. "You think this place would be heavily guarded, even at night."

"Unless they wanted someone to get in." Gina said. She checked over her bodysuit, which she wore not for its physical enhancements, but because it was her go-to outfit for missions like these. If she needed to hide her identity, she could wear her light-reflective helmet for a disguise. "They're expecting visitors."

"Then it's a trap." Sureshock said.

"Yup." Gina nodded. Sureshock gaped at her nonchalant attitude.

"Then you shouldn't go in! Just tell the Autobots, Gina, they'll—"

"They'll what?" Gina snapped. "They can't do a thing about my dreams and it's only a matter of time before someone sends a hitman for me. OZ is behind this, Sureshock, and I'm not waiting for them to hunt me down. I'm finishing what they started."

Sureshock stared at Gina like she didn't even recognize her. "Gina…"

"I'm ending this on my terms, Sureshock." Gina said and put on her helmet. "Bee, you hang out here with Jolt and Sureshock. Sara, you're with me."

Sara nodded and followed Gina into the building. The Autobot and two Minicons watched Gina force the door open with a hard yank and entered the facility, destroying the alarm as well.

"I'd say I'd hope Gina doesn't go overboard trying to find that assassin, but that'd be wasting my time." Jolt said.

"Gina will be alright." Bumblebee said. "Sara won't let anyone touch her."

Sureshock nodded, but she wasn't completely sure about that. She was more worried about what Gina will do when she does find her answers.

XXXXXX

Inside the facility, it was completely dark and empty. Sara and Gina switched on their night vision as they walked through the empty halls, passing by rooms made to test the very limits of talos in natural and often combat conditions. Gina looked around, keeping her eyes open for any kind of sound.

"See anything, Sara?" She asked.

"No, I'm not detecting any heat signatures." Sara said, narrowing her eyes. "I don't like this, Gina."

"Neither do I, Sara."

This was where Gina realized the flaw in her plan-she had no idea where to look. She didn't do much prep work for this mission besides looking up its location and work times to avoid running into any late night workers. They had no idea if this place was even connected to OZ at all!

"Jinkies, this is so infuriating!" Gina growled.

She almost felt like giving up when she saw a dark figure run past them in the hall up ahead. Almost immediately Gina called out to them. "Hey, stop!"

The figure turned to look at her, but it was too dark to see any facial features before the figure ran down the hall. Gina and Sara chased after them, pursuing the figure down a couple of halls until the chase led them to the hangar area where talos were deployed into the courtyard outside.

"I lost sight of them." Sara said.

"You can't track their heat signatures?" Gina asked.

"That person has a body temperature that was lower than a human's." Sara explained. "I don't know why, but that's what I saw."

Gina looked at the hangar doors. "The guy ran outside to the testing field. Are you ready, Sara?"

Sara nodded. "I'm always ready, Gina."

The two girls pushed open the doors and ran out into the testing range where military talos would undergo intense simulations to test their combat abilities for any flaws. Though some areas were cleared away, the majority of the field was covered in a large forest with a river cutting through it.

Gina and Sara looked around for their mystery man, and after a few minutes Gina realized something.

"I recognize this place." she whispered. "I, or whoever I was looking through, used this place as some kind of training area." She looked around. "There were tons of automated weapons and talos that were used against this person. All of them were destroyed."

Sara narrowed her eyes. "Were we led here?"

"Definitely, but by who?"

"Me!"

A green blur descended from the sky and slammed into Gina's back, propelling into a wooden target used for target practice. Gina smashed through it and rolled across the ground before jumping to her feet.

"Ow, I felt that." Gina groaned and stood up, rubbing her stinging back. She glared at her attacker, who stood across from her.

It was a girl, who was clad in dark green and black body armor that fit her toned frame and a helmet with a faceplate molded in the shape of a woman's face that obscured her features, but Gina could tell from one look that this girl was about the same age as her.

"You." Gina hissed. "You're the girl behind those murders."

"I am." The girl confirmed. Her voice was modulated so that neither Gina nor Sara could identify it, but the vocal tone was definitely feminine. "And you are the girl making me lose sleep."

Gina scowled and pushed off the ground with her feet, leaping into the air before landing right before the girl. "That's my line, you bitch. Who are you?"

"My codename is Pandora."

"Pandora?"

"My father's alias that he chose for me. He said it described me as a perfect being that will bring ruin upon the world, or something stupid like that." She said. "More powerful and beautiful than any other human, esper or inhuman on Terra. More powerful than you."

Gina saw Sara take her position behind Pandora. "And I'm guessing your father is with OZ."

"Yes, but that's off topic. I'm not here to talk with you. I'm here to kill you."

"Kill me? What for…" Gina's eyes widened. "My god. Our connection…I can see into your mind, and you…"

"Can see into yours. It's very annoying and I'm losing sleep watching you get all lovey dovey with your boyfriend." Pandora sneered.

"And I bet it makes your secret assassination trips not so secret, huh?" Gina growled.

"Correct. My father says that there cannot be two roses in the same pot. One must die for the other to live to the fullest. The obvious choice is the rose with the redder petals."

"And what exactly are you, then? Another one of Pisces's experiments? Some freaking clone made with Thornment's help?"

"I am no clone!" Pandora roared, the eyes of her mask glowing blue. "I am better than you in every way. I am your replacement!"

Sara boosted forward to impale Pandora from behind, but Pandora sidestepped her attack and kicked her in the stomach, throwing her several feet back.

Gina sprinted forward and generated her distortion halo, just as Pandora did the same. The two halo effects collided with each other and caused a huge explosion that rattled the area and lit up the night with a dazzling azure display of destruction.

Both young inhumans were blasted apart by the explosion, but Gina recovered first. Her halo effect transmuted the ground and summoned an earthen pillar to erupt from under her, shooting her forward. She threw a punch at Pandora, who easily blocked her first and backhanded her in the face before punching her into the ground. Gina hit the ground like a rock and Pandora came down on her with an elbow to her cranium that completely shattered her helmet and sent her deeper into the ground.

Pandora pulled her up by her hair and punched her hard enough to send her smashing through several trees. Gina crashing into the last tree and slid to the ground with a bleeding nose and several cuts on her face. She spat out blood and glared at Pandora, who was already charging at her.

"I'm not letting you get that close again!" Gina summoned another distortion halo that peppered the area around her in energy spheres that leveled the path in front of her and crashed against Pandora's halo field, creating another brilliant explosion.

XXXXXX

When the fighting began, the tremors could be felt all over the complex, and it was felt by Bumblebee and the Minicons.

"What's going on?" Sureshock said as she felt another tremor ripple through the ground.

"Earthquake?" Bumblebee said.

"Guys, I'm seeing a lot of fireworks going on behind the building." Jolt said, spotting the bright flashes of fire and sparks coming from the testing field. "I think the girls are in trouble!"

"Then let's help them!" Bumblebee said. "Jolt, come down and—"

"Bee, lookout!" Sureshock yelled.

Bumblebee saw a boulder fly straight at them and he snatched up Sureshock before rolling away. The boulder crashed to the ground and shattered, sending pieces of stone flying everywhere.

"Oh slag." Bumblebee heard Jolt's groan. "Bee, you've got company."

Bumblebee and Sureshock looked up and saw a large white armored giant stomping out of the forest and into the parking lot, its eyes focused intently on them.

"Pisces!" Sureshock exclaimed.

XXXXXX

The battle of the inhumans was getting more brutal every minute. What was once a lush forest had been reduced into a scorched wasteland as opposing distortion halo fields clashed against one another.

Gina and Pandora fought furiously with all their might, but the prolonged battle was sapping their strength. Even their body armor had been torn away over the course of the fight; Gina's suit had several tears and holes and was missing a glove, while the entire left side of Pandora's bodysuit was burned away, revealing her slender arm. Still, the two girls fought with little restraint.

Pandora was clearly the better fighter, but Gina had a better grasp of her powers, and their different in skill was becoming increasingly evident.

"Ha!" Pandora summoned more energy bombs around Gina, who simply blew them away with her own stronger ones.

'She can't match my strength.' Gina thought, running forward. 'She's a better fighter, but I've got more skill with my distortion halo.'

One glance toward the ground and Gina formed a distortion halo construct to elevate her off the ground, avoiding halo blasts that barely left a scratch in the oddly formed pillar. Summoning all the power she could muster, Gina gave a thunderous roar and the entire area around her was engulfed in a field of fire.

Sara was forced to hang back from the battle, as the constant halo explosions was creating enough static electricity in the air to kill a normal human, and severely damage her. Which meant that she was unable to help Gina, something she wasn't pleased about.

When Gina ended her barrage, she immediately felt dizzy from expending so much energy and fell off her pillar, landing face first into the ground. She coughed and smoke rose off her skin. She was reaching her limit.

Gina slowly pushed herself up and saw Pandora leaping at her—as in actually leaping dozens of feet into the air like Superman. Gina groaned and placed her hand against the ground, using a small halo effect to transmute the earth into something longer…and harder.

Pandora was flying straight for her and Gina waited long enough to see her glowing eyes before swinging her newly formed crystalline staff right into Pandora's stomach as hard as she could. Pandora went flying back and Gina used every muscle in her legs to jump after her.

Pandora barely got her breath back when Gina threw a punch that she barely dodged. She kicked her in the back and grabbed her foot to pull Gina back in for a headbutt to the nose. Pandora landed a knee to her stomach and an elbow to the face before Gina pulled her close to slam her fist into her cheek as jard as she could. The punch smashed right into her helmet and sent Pandora flying the entire length of the testing field before she crashed into the building.

Gina hit the ground hard and coughed up more blood as Sara ran to her aid.

"Gina…" Sara breathed, shocked at how much damage the strong girl had taken. Bruises marred her skin and burns from the constant distortion halos marred her arms.

"I'm okay…still alive." Gina groaned. Her entire body was sore and her head felt like it was going to split open, but she was still in one piece. Being a superpowered girl for so long made her forget how much pain sucks. "But you should see the other girl."

The girls suddenly heard a rumble and looked at the rubble to see Pandora bursting from the pile of debris with a roar. Half of her bodysuit was burned away and the left side of her helmet was completely shattered, exposing a very angry blue eye that was starting to swell up.

Pandora gave a howl and unleashed a tremendous wave of energy at Gina and Sara. Gina pulled Sara close and used the rest of her power to defend them both. Once more, two opposing distortion halo fields clashed and the energy surge that resulted from the clashing energy fields completely destroyed half of the building they were standing near.

XXXXXX

Bumblebee knew fighting Pisces was impossible. The Zodiac's armored titan form was heavily resistant to the scout's stingers and even his solar accelerator only did moderate damage. Forget punching the guy.

Pisces gave a loud roar and swung a large fist at Bumblebee's head. Bumblebee dodged it and grabbed his arm, leaping onto Pisces's chest and stabbing his blade into his right shoulder. Pisces threw him off, but Bumblebee jumped up and shot a bolt into his face.

'I don't have time for this!' Bumblebee thought. He had Jolt and Sureshock powerlinked to him, enhancing his physical power beyond normal capabilities, but he was still outmatched by Pisces's abilities. He needed to break off and get to the girls now!

Pisces roared and charged straight at Bumblebee, who jumped aside to avoid his shoulder tackle. But then Pisces spun around and swung his leg in a tight arc, kicking Bumblebee hard in the chest and sent him smashing through a tree. Steam spewed from Pisces's armor plates and he leaned forward for another powerful sprint.

Just as he got into a running start, a bright blue explosion came from the building behind him. Pisces stood up and looked back to see the blue light dying out behind the building.

It didn't take Pisces long to realize that Pandora was possible in danger following her battle with her…counterpart. Not surprising, honestly, considering Gina's abnormal abilities.

Looking over at the dazed Autobot, Pisces growled and dissolved his titan body in a thick cloud of steam. His body emerged from the nape of its neck and dropped to the ground, his clothes not the least bit ruffled.

"Looks like we'll have to cut our visit short." Pisces said and signaled the MASS device to transport him back to headquarters.

As Bumblebee got to his feet, he saw Pisces vanish in a column of light, gone as if he were never there in the first place. He sighed and sagged against the tree, relieved that he didn't have to fight that goliath anymore.

"I'll take that as a win for me." Bumblebee panted. "Yay me."

XXXXXX

"Gina…Gina!"

Sara's voice was slightly muffled in Gina's ears as she slowly woke up. It took a moment for her to properly awaken, but she managed to open her eyes to see a worried Sara leaning over her.

"S-Sara?" She rasped.

"Gina," Sara's relieved sigh was strange to Gina. It wasn't often the android got scared for her. "It's good to see you're okay."

"What…" Gina's mouth felt dry and it hurt to talk. "What happened?"

"You passed out after protecting us from that blast. You overused your powers and your body is having an adverse reaction to using so much energy. You are currently suffering from dehydration and exhaustion on top of having an abnormal body temperature." Sara said.

'That explains why I'm having the sweats.' Gina thought, and asked, "What about Pandora?"

"Gone. She was taken away in a column of light. I can only presume that OZ recovered her." Sara ran her fingers along Gina's sweaty brow. "But she looked no better than you did after that assault."

"She'll be back." Gina said. "She won't stop until one of us is dead…and neither will I."

"Gina…"

"OZ, no, Pisces crosses the line over and over and I'm getting sick of it." Gina growled, ignoring the pain in her head. "The next time I see him, I'm killing him! I swear it, Sara, I'll kill that man with my bare hands!"

XXXXXX

The study smelled like smoke as Stephanie exhaled another cloud of smoke into the air. It was almost two in the morning but she couldn't sleep…not yet, anyway. Not until the girl sleeping on the couch was well rested and recovering.

'That girl did a number on you, did she?' Stephanie thought. 'Pisces, you fucking fool!'

Stephanie heard a groan and snuffed out her cigarette on her forearm. She walked over to the weakened girl lying on the couch hovering in and out of consciousness.

"I'm here, little Pandora." Stephanie softly said. She held back a grimace at the girl's swelling left eye.

"Mother…?" Pandora wheezed.

"Go back to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up." She said.

The girl, known by OZ as the child inhuman Pandora, gave a weak groan and fell back asleep, comforting by the soft touch of her adoptive mother. Stephanie sighed and lightly touched Pandora's golden hair before standing back up and looking out the window.

"Pandora…what a stupid fucking name." She growled. "At least I got to name her first."

* * *

**Another chapter that I enjoyed writing. Pandora herself won't make a lot of appearances until later in the story, but the implications of her birth will come to ****light later on. And in case you're wondering about Gina's skill with her distortion halo, its similar to how Alchemists transmutate objects in Fullmetal ****Alchemist. Gina can use her distortion halo field to transmutate objects within her line of sight, a technique she perfect over the past six months since her ****ill-fated fight with Pisces's Uber inhuman, Katrina. Next chapter will focus on the final chapter in Arcee and Flamewar's story as both femmes battle to the death! B****e sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on Wordpress, directions to the site are on my profile. Thanks for reading and please leave a ****review. **


	17. Still Standing

Chapter 17-Still Standing

A purple glow washed over Flamewar's face as she held the oddly colored energy crystal in her hand to the light of the sun. She could feel its charged energy within its crystal lattice. She could feel it all around her. This was what real power felt like, and it felt nice.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Airachnid said as she walked up to Flamewar. "Funny how powerful one little rock can make you feel."

"It's even more stable than that red energon scrap those morons in the Decepticon research division keep making." Flamewar tossed the energon into the air before catching it. "Didn't think we'd hit a gold mine like this."

"These guys can sniff out it out even better than they do energon." Airachnid smiled. "My hive continues to surprise me."

Her "hive" in question was busy exhuming ultra-energon, known to the wider world as Ore-13, from every corner of the small cave they stumbled upon an hour ago. Insecticons mined ore-13, flew off back to the ship, and returned to gather more. It was like watching a hive of cybertronian bees at work, only their royal jelly had the power to strength a single mechanoid tenfold.

"Glorious, isn't it?" Airachnid chuckled.

"Why do you think they can sniff this out so easily." Flamewar asked.

Airachnid shrugged. "These are Shockwave's pets. He probably programmed them that way before sending them here."

"Figures something this good was made by Shockwave." Flamewar said.

"So you said that this ore-13 can empower us?" Airachnid said curiously.

"Chatter on the Con's radiowaves said that it turned Starscream into a powerhouse. Megatron too. We've already collected enough to last us at least two months." Flamewar looked at the shard in her hand with a contemplative expression, making Airachnid's smirk grow.

"I know that look. You're thinking of something naughty, aren't you?"

"Possibly." Flamewar replied. "Arcee and I have been locked in this dance of death for over a year now since running into each other on this planet. Things are heating up now that we have the humans gunning for us, and I want to end this pissing contest before Prime and Megatron go full throttle at each other."

"An instant strike against both sides?" Airachnid said curiously.

"No, more along the lines of giving them something to worry about while Arcee and I finish things." Flamewar crossed her arms. "How many soldiers do we have?"

"About five hundred, and growing. All the vegetation and organic matter they're munching on is helping with their reproduction." Airachnid said. "Never seen a cybertronian reproduce like that."

"Now you know why Shockwave likes to play with them so much." Flamewar said.

Insecticons were a unique species in many ways. Their hive mentally allowed them a strong bond that increased their combat effectiveness and made them a coherent fighting unit, especially in the presence of an alpha. Furthermore, the insecticons would reproduce at a faster rate than regular Cybertronians, using the energy gathered from their food to spawn protoforms via budding.

"So what do you want to do first?" Airachnid asked. "There are plenty of human cities to hit to draw Arcee out."

"Actually, I was thinking of starting small." Flamewar grinned. "Why go straight to the action when you can have a little foreplay first?"

XXXXXX

'This is depressing.' Darren thought with a sigh. He didn't think he'd feel this lonely sitting by himself in the library.

He was supposed to be having a study session with Gina, Annie, and Kevin to prepare for an important science exam. As per usual, plans fell apart when Kevin had to go help Penny out with something at the ruins of Civ-Alpha. Then Annie bowed out to study with Brittany, though Darren was sure they were doing everything _but _studying. Gina…canceled at the last minute. Her excuse was that she to help her father with something, but Darren knew that she needed to have some time to herself after that whole mess with Pandora.

And that left him…and Brianna.

Though her grades were rather spot on to begin with, Brianna had been out for a few days due to having a very bad sickness that laid her out pretty badly. Darren thought that was kind of odd, considering he thought that Brianna was a rather well-developed girl for her age.

'Almost like Gina.' Darren thought wearily. He got rid of that thought almost immediately, knowing he was treading dangerous territory. 'Bad Darren! You already have a very attractive girlfriend. Don't go window shopping!'

"Hey, Darren!"

Darren looked up and saw Brianna walking up to his table with her usual bright smile and an armful of books under one arm. She was wearing a tight green sweater and jeans that she did a really good job looking good in. Darren pinched himself hard on the arm.

"Hey, Bri." Darren said, using her nickname. "How are you feeling?"

"Better after spending a few days in bed." Brianna said. She put her books down and sat next to him. "Feels good to be up and about again."

"Yeah, but it's odd to see you absent for so long. You're, like, the healthiest person I know." Darren said.

Brianna gave him a small smile and looked away. "W-Well, everyone gets sick once in a while. We're only human after all."

Darren looked at the books she brought along and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"_Weapons that changed the world_?" He read. "_Tanks: Past, Present, and Future? Talos of Tomorrow—_what are these books?"

"I'm a bit of a weapons freak. Guns, cannons, tanks, you name it, I love it." Brianna said sheepishly.

"Never pegged you for a gun-girl." Darren smiled.

"They kind of grew on me. That's what happens when your dad's in the army." She said.

"Really, what rank?"

"He's a weapons designer. His job keeps him busy, but I have my mom, so everything's cool."

"Good to hear."

Talking to Brianna now, Darren struggled to understand why Gina was so frosty towards her. She was a sweet and kind girl, smart but feisty, though it only added to her charm. In fact, a lot of the things he liked about Brianna could also be applied to Gina.

"So what exactly are you having problems with?" She asked.

"Math." He answered.

"Math? But that's not too hard." Brianna said.

"Some of it is. I was never too savvy for numbers and neither was Annie. That's more up Gina's alley."

Brianna's brow twitched at the mention of Gina, but she put on a smile and moved closer to Darren so that their shoulders are touching. "Well, since you're helping me out, I can put you through a crash course in the easy learning of mathematics."

Feeling a bit flustered at her close proximity, Darren smiled and said, "Thanks, Bri. Gina was supposed to help me out, but she was busy."

"Well, I'm not too busy for you, Darren." Brianna said, placing a hand on his wrist. "And I can always make time for-"

They were interrupted by Darren's cellphone vibrating in his pocket. Not noticing the hellish glare Brianna sent his phone, he took it out and flipped it open, seeing Debbie's number on the screen.

"Huh, I wonder what Debbie wants. She should be at the hospital right now." Darren wondered and pressed the call button. Hello? Debbie?"

"_D-Darren…"_

Darren straightened up in his seat. Something sounded wrong in Debbie's voice.

"Debbie, what's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

"_I'm sorry, Darren, but…she…" _Debbie sniffled and whimpered. _"She wanted to speak to you."_

Darren's blood ran cold. "Who wants to speak to me? Debbie, what happened?"

"_Hello, Darren." _Flamewar's voice answered this time. _"Why don't you come on home? I'm sure your sister could use some moral support right now."_

XXXXXX

Darren had barely taken the time to tell Brianna to call anyone she had in her contacts before running out of the library, ignoring her calls. Calling upon his telekinesis, Darren ran at top speed that would make an Olympic runner jealous. His legs burns and he almost ran over several people, but he didn't dare slow down even a bit as he ran all the home from downtown, not caring at all if anyone saw him using his powers.

His house looked the same, completely untouched from the outside, but Darren wasn't fooled. He kicked the door open and ran inside.

"Debbie!" He yelled, running into the living room. "Debbie, where are—"

He froze in the doorway as he spotted Debbie sitting on the couch with another woman. His sister's hair was messed up and she had a bruise on her cheek with a bloody nose and split lip. Tears ran down her face as the other woman held her close, wearing tight leather biker's clothes with short violet hair and green eyes. Darren immediately recognized the familiar sneer on her face as he laid eyes on her.

"Flamewar." He growled.

"My, you got here fast. I thought it was going to take a while for you to get back home." Flamewar grinned. "Shame. I was looking forward to having a nice chat with your sister here."

"If you touch here, I swear—"

"You'll do what? Fight me?" She chuckled. "You're not fast enough to stop me before I snap her neck and burn your house down. I have the advantage here, and you'll do well to remember that."

"Please, don't hurt him." Debbie cried.

"Hush now, dear. As long as he behaves, I won't hurt him, or you, too much." Flamewar said, patting Debbie's shoulder.

"What the hell do you want, Flamewar?" Darren demanded.

"Want? You know what I want, boy. I want Arcee's head, and yours by extension. Did you think I was going to forget out last encounters together? Fun fact about me, Darren—I can hold a grudge for a long time." She said.

"Arcee's going to stop you." Darren growled.

"She couldn't even kill me when I was running solo, and I have a swarm of insecticons at my command." Flamewar said. "I can assure you, Arcee will die, but not before I've broken you first."

Darren glanced at Debbie before taking a step forward. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Of course you are, you're trembling." Flamewar pointed out.

"I'm afraid for my sister, not that you've ever known that feeling. You're just a jaded, second rate huntress with an inferiority complex." He said. "You've already had everything, but you threw it all away for nothing!"

"Keep talking, boy. It'll only make your death more painful." Flamewar hissed.

"I told you, you don't scare me!" Darren yelled.

Flamewar snarled and backhanded Debbie across the face, and Darren shot forward to punch her. Flamewar caught his first and kicked him in the stomach before throwing him to the floor. Darren coughed and wheezed before Flamewar grabbed his shirt and threw him onto the couch, standing over his sister.

"See what you made me do?" She sneered. "You made me hurt this poor creature. I'm trying to refrain from making a mess for the time being." She grabbed Debbie by her hair and painfully pulled her to her feet. "Keep bad mouthing me and your sister will start losing some limbs!"

Darren hunched over, holding a hand to his bruised limbs as he caught his breath. "Why…"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this?" Darren asked.

Flamewar rolled her eyes. "I already told you, it's to make Arcee…"

"I'm asking you what's your probably with Arcee? She's never done anything to you!" He spat. "What could she have done to drive you to cause so much pain and torment her like this? Killing her sister, torturing her, coming after her friends…what's the fucking point?"

"Envy." Flamewar's answer was so quick and abrupt that it made Darren pause for a second.

"Envy?"

"Yes. Arcee and I loved each other, there was no doubt about that. We were the power couple in Ky-Alexia, a pair of fighters who protected our home wanting nothing more than to just live our lives together. But no matter what I did, everyone just seemed to gravitate around Arcee, praising her as if she did everything singlehandedly. They'd never notice me, and if they did, I was just some bottom feeder who paled in comparison to sweet, beautiful Arcee."

Flamewar scowled and threw Debbie to the floor, her expression scornful, yet her eyes were a little…sad. "It eats away at you, you know. The constant whispers and jeers, the insults and blasé mistreatment. Even Arcee grew tired of me and began drifting away when I needed her the most. Her, Moonracer and I were equal in skill, but they'd rather take that sharpshooting little slut over me! Arcee's little dalliances with that moronic Wrecker Springer was the last straw!

"I was sick of it all, sick of being treated like trash by the people I was supposed to protect. People I've risked my life time and time again to ensure that they lived to see the next sunrise!" She continued. "Megatron's rhetoric at the time spoke to me, as did the goals of the Decepticons. But Arcee and Moonracer chose the Autobots, and I couldn't let that stand."

"You did all of this just because you were jealous?" Darren shook his head. "You're sick."

"I wouldn't expect a child like you to understand my situation." Flamewar scoffed.

Darren spat at her. "Oh, I understand—"

"No you don't!"

Flamewar grabbed Darren, pushing him onto the couch and wrapping her hands around his neck to strangle him.

"What could a hairless ape like you understand? You're just a sniveling little coward who got lucky in the gene pool and can't even see it!" She roared.

As she strangled Darren, Debbie grabbed a lamp and ran up to Flamewar, smashing the lamp into the back of her head. Flamewar lashed out at Debbie, pushing her arm back and slamming the limb over the coffee table. Debbie screamed as her arm bent at an odd angle and snapped painfully, falling to her knees.

"You…arm…" Debbie groaned, unable to feel her arm.

"I'll break more than that after I'm done with your brother." Flamewar growled. "I'm going to break you. I'm going to break Darren. I'm even going to break that loudmouth little whore of a sister of yours! Then I'm going to—"

"SHUT UP!"

Darren slammed into Flamewar, encased in a TK aura as they smashed through the window and flew outside. They landed in the street, where Flamewar kicked him off and hit him with an uppercut to his face that threw him onto his back. She stood over him, glaring down at him like he was source of all her problems.

"You're going to fight back now, boy?" Flamewar sneered. "You're going to try and be a man?!"

Darren leapt up, swinging a first at her face, which she batted aside and punched him to the ground. Darren's vision swam as his left cheek and jaw ached painfully.

"Go ahead, Darren, fight back!" She shouted. "I want to tell Arcee how you fought back like a dying animal when I give her the heads of you and your sisters!"

Darren lunged at her and threw some more punches at her, but she handled him more easily this time, deflecting his punches and slugging him in the face again. Darren felt his nose go numb with pain and his teeth rattle as he crashed back into the ground, blood pouring from his mouth and nose.

"At least you had the balls to fight back, Darren. Most of my prey just stand there and scream while I rip them apart." Flamewar said. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to send your sisters along with you to hell."

"You…first."

He clenched his hand and a piece of asphalt flew from the ground at Flamewar's back, ready to impale her. However her holoform vanished before it could touch her. Darren heard an engine roar and saw a black and red motocycle speed down the street, transforming into Flamewar's true form.

"Nice try!" She cackled and pointed her exhaust blaster at him. "But you're too slow."

Before she could incinerate him, two cars sped down the street at full speed—Sunstreaker and Mirage! They transformed and pointed their weapons at Flamewar, who grinned and transformed to drive away.

"Sunstreaker, chase her!" Mirage said and ran over to Darren, who was just barely conscious. "Mirage to base, we need medical in Tranquility for Darren and Debbie. And step on it!"

XXXXXX

Tranquility had been riled up thanks to the appearance of Flamewar, who somehow managed to escape. Jazz reinforced Autobot presence in the town while Ratchet attended to Darren and Debbie, while Optimus assigned Bulkhead and Ironhide to watch over Gina and Annie in case Flamewar made a go at them. In the meantime, Arcee's stress levels were at an all-time high from the sudden appearance of her former lover.

"Where the hell were you two?" Arcee shouted at Mirage and Sunstreaker.

"We were patrolling, Arcee." Mirage said. "Just like we were supposed to."

"One of you was supposed to be keeping an eye on the children so something like this couldn't happen!"

"Hey, get off our backs, Arcee. We were doing our jobs!" Sunstreaker frowned. "Those brats are still alive, aren't they?"

"Don't even try to pretend that you care, Sunstreaker. You think I don't here you muttering about how worthless humans are when you think you're alone?" Arcee sneered. "If anything happened to them…"

"That's enough, Arcee." Prowl cut in. "Darren and Debbie are safe now."

"No thanks to them." Arcee grumbled, earning glares from the two mechs in question.

Sunstreaker stepped forward, fists clenched. "Listen you—"

"What's done is done, Arcee." Optimus said, cutting Sunstreaker off with a firm look. "I already have Jazz put Tranquility under tight surveillance. Our friends are safe now."

"No they're not. Not while she's still alive." Arcee said bitterly.

"What could have possibly possess Flamewar to attack two humans in broad daylight like that?" Prowl asked. "She's psychotic, but she's not a fool."

"No, I have a feeling that this might be the start of something else Flamewar has planned." Optimus said grimly. "Have all our satellites watch out for Flamewar and Airachnid's energon signatures. We need to capture or contain them at all costs!"

Arcee bit her lip and looked away. It won't be enough. She knows that Flamewar did all this just to scare her…and it was working.

XXXXXX

"Ow," Flamewar hissed, rubbing her head. "I forgot how tricky fighting that boy was."

"I take it you had a great outing?" Airachnid sauntered up to her, mentally commanding the insecticons to stock up more energon.

"It got a bit…personal, near the middle, but I did what I set out to do." Flamewar looked at the insecticons feasting on their newly acquired "treat". "Are our soldiers ready?"

"Almost. I'm having a few of them stock up on ore-3. They'll be ready for a test run soon."

"Good, I want to see how a couple of enhanced insecticon warriors do against Prime's team." Flamewar grinned.

XXXXXX

Prowl oversaw the mining operation of another vein of ore-13 found in an abandoned quarry somewhere in the mid-west. It wasn't a large vein, but the energon was extremely potent, even in its remote location.

"You know, I still don't get how Shockwave was able to get energon to grow on other worlds." Armorhide said, cleaving off a large chunk of the magenta crystal to drop into the cart. "The engineering behind it all must be amazing."

"Amazing and dangerous." Hound said. "Don't get too enchanted by this stuff, kid. This is Shockwave's work, which means its more trouble than its worth."

"Less talk, more cutting. The longer we linger, the higher our chances of being hounded by Decepticons." Prowl said.

"Ugh, go suck a cogwheel." Sideswipe growled under his breath.

"Relax, Sides, getting agitated over Prowl is not worth it." Rodimus said, swinging his laser emitter around. "You got any update from Arcee?"

"Nothing new on that front, I'm afraid. Flamewar's attack has her shaken." Hound said. "We're still looking for her, but—"

A laser blast hit the energon crystal next to Hound, exploding it and sending him and Rodimus flying back. The others turned to the sky, where they saw a swarm of insecticons heading straight for them.

"We're under attack!" Prowl shouted.

"We know!" Sideswipe yelled.

The Autobots immediately opened fire on the insecticons, but it wasn't long before Prowl realized that something was wrong. Their attacks weren't doing much damage against the bugs, and even his well-placed headshots left no more than scorch marks in their carapace.

"Something's wrong." Prowl muttered. His fears were realized when he saw the odd purple glow in their eyes. "Scrap, Autobots disengage!"

"What?! Why?" Sideswipe dodged another laser blast and returned fire.

"Those insecticons are on ore-13. They're stronger than normal!"

One of the insecticons transformed and landed on the ground. Roaring, it charged at Hound and punched him in the chest, knocking him back several feet. Armorhide slashed his battle axe across its back, but the beast smacked him across the face, nearly breaking his jaw.

"Slag!" Rodimus transformed and sped away from the two soldiers chasing him. "Prowl, we're getting torn apart here!"

"Prowl to base, we need reinforcements right now—" Something sticky snagged his arm and yanked hard, pulling him off his face and throwing him into the air. Prowl felt something big slam into him hard and sent him crashing into the rock wall of the quarry.

Before he could recover, his arm was yanked again and he was pulled forward, being dragged along the ground for a few feet before he tore off the strand of webbing and came to a stop. He hissed in pain and got to his feet as a purple figure landed right in front of him.

"Airachnid." Prowl growled.

"Prowl, fancy meeting you here." Airachnid grinned.

Prowl took out his laser rifle, taking note of the purple glow in Airachnid's eyes. She was also on ore-13, and clearly out to gather more. He pointed his rifle at her face, earning a laugh from her.

"That's funny. You think you're little toy is going to hurt me?" She grinned. "I have ore-13 on my side."

"And I know how to handle people who've taken it." He replied.

"Oh, Prowl." Airachnid sighed, shaking her head. "You'll be dead long before the energon wears off."

Prowl pulled the trigger, but an insecticon slammed into him from the side and dragged his face through the dirt and gravel. Unable to break its strong grip, he took out his shock baton and jabbed it into the insecticon's arm, delivering a strong jolt that made the arm seize up, allowing Prowl to break free. He hopped onto its back and fired his rifle repeatedly into the back of its head, destroying it completely.

Airachnid huffed and transformed into helicopter mode before flying at him, firing her laser machine guns. Powerful laser blasts tore into Prowl's body to throw him back into the gravel slope behind him as she pressed her advance. Airachnid transformed back and kicked him in the chest before pointed her palm blasters at his face.

"Now, do be a dear and scream for me, will you?" She said.

Prowl didn't bother responding. He just stabbed one of his batons into her chest, shocking her violently before trying to punch her face. Airachnid barely avoided his attack and landed a punch on his face that rattled his skull. Another punch sent him to the ground in a daze while she stood over him.

"If this is all you can do, then you're an even bigger disappointment than I thought." Airachnid sneered. "Apparently your only strong suit is sitting behind a desk…"

Prowl lobbed a flash grenade at her face, which detonated right in front of her eyes. Blinded and mad, she recklessly starting shooting her palm blasters, scoring several hits off Prowl's body before he rammed into her and threw her to the ground. He jammed his batons into her torso and started electrocuting her with the strongest charge his batons could muster. His goal was to wear her down, make her use up as much energy healing from his attacks so that she used up more energon faster. It was his only hope of getting out of this alive—

Prowl's calculated thoughts were cut off by an agonizing pain coming from his abdomen. He screamed as one of Airachnid's claws tore into his lower abdomen. She pulled her arm back and punched again, this time puncturing his armor. Another punch dug into his internals, but Prowl did not budge from his spot. They glared hatefully at each other, refusing to yield under the pain.

Eventually, Airachnid's ore-13 powered punched had tore into his body so much that her fist actually ripped its way straight through his back. He felt his strength fading as energon bled profusely from his wounds, but he tried to fight, even as Airachnid's claws tore out his fuel pump and circuits. Energon spurted from his body, and his energy levels started dropping rapidly. Eventually, he had no more strength to draw on and Prowl lost his fight against stasis lock.

"That's right." Airachnid coughed, kicking Prowl's body off her. The lingering electricity in her system made her body spasm sporadically as she crawled away. "Lie down and die like the dog you are."

"Prowl!"

Airachnid shifted her lower body together and relied on her extra legs to get going, commanding her remaining insecticons to retreat. As soon as they were out of sight, Bumblebee and Ironhide ran into the quarry to help their friends. The two Autobots found Prowl's broken and brutalized body bleeding out on the ground.

"Ratchet, we need medical over here!" Ironhide yelled.

XXXXXX

"Prime, what the hell just happened over there?"

Barnett's voice rang throughout the empty room, worsening Optimus's already pounding headache.

"You will have to elaborate, Colonel Barnett." Optimus said.

"Don't play coy with me, Prime. I'm getting reports from a nearby town in Oregon about the local quarry going up in flames after several giant robot bugs were seen flying in over there."

"Airachnid attacked Prowl's team while they were mining ore-13 in the region. According to Armorhide, the insecticons and Airachnid were all on ore-13 during the attack." Optimus said.

"Ore-13, that super-energon Megatron tried to snuff you out with?" Barnett asked. Optimus nodded.

"The very same. Armorhide is in the CR chamber, Rodimus and Sideswipe have only minor wounds, and Prowl's condition is…critical."

Barnett noted Optimus's pause and asked, "How's Prowl?"

"He suffered seriously internal injuries fighting Airachnid. Ratchet is operating on him as we speak."

"God…" Barnett sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Prime."

"It's fine. Prowl will live, though he almost didn't make it." Optimus said. "However, I don't think this attack was a random one given how close it is to Flamewar's attack on the children."

"Aren't Flamewar and Airachnid rogues? That means they have little resources to cause serious damage to us in the long run."

"Yes, but they have a growing number of insecticons at their command. The fact that they're using ore-13 to empower themselves is very troubling. This makes them even more dangerous." Optimus crossed his arms. "Arcee thinks that these attacks are leading up to something, and I'm inclined to believe her. Arcee knows Flamewar best."

"Are we looking at a major attack, Prime?" Barnett asked. "I need to know where they're going to hit next."

"Airachnid and Flamewar are too unpredictable, Colonel. Flamewar's sole purpose is to torment Arcee by any means necessary. They're even giving the Decepticons a lot of trouble."

"There's one silver lining." Barnett said sarcastically.

"One thing I can say for certain is that those two are planning to hit us hard, right where it hurts. And I'm afraid Arcee will be at the center of it all."

XXXXXX

"I almost had that bastard and those fools ruined it all for me!" Airachnid raged.

"Relax, Airachnid. The fun's not over yet." Flamewar said. She looked over at the bio-organic pods that held gestating insecticons budded from adult insecticons. At the moment there were around 56 insecticons spawned, and just enough ore-13 mined to empower a little over half of their army. "I think it's time we started the main event."

"Already? You're not going to torment them some more?"

"We don't have time. As much fun as our foreplay has been, it'll run dry if we don't get to the main event." Flamewar said.

Flamewar stood up and grinned at Airachnid. "Call your strongest insecticons and feed them ore-13. We'll do the same. It's time to get serious."

XXXXXX

Arcee visited the kids during her down time, just to give her some peace of mind. The children were staying at Gina's house for the time being. Darren and Debbie were doing relatively fine, though Debbie kept her distance from Arcee (she tried not to take it personally, but it still stung) and Darren was instructed to stay in bed for now. Thus, the girls and Minicons hung out in the guest room while they chatted.

"Really, Arcee, we're fine. No need to keep stressing yourself out like this." Darren told her.

"I know, but this incident has me jumping at shadows. She could've killed you two." Arcee said.

"Could've, but couldn't. Because my bro's freaking awesome!" Annie punched her twin in the shoulder, making sure to avoid the bandages.

"Annie, please don't further injure your brother." High Wire scolded.

"How's Prowl? I heard Airachnid put him in critical condition." Gina asked.

"Prowl's recovering right now under Ratchet's watch, but he'll be fine. Airachnid literally disemboweled him, though, and we thought we were going to lose him." Arcee sighed.

Annie frowned at Arcee's exhaustion. "Damn, Arcee, this really has your stressed out, doesn't it?"

Arcee looked at her hands. "Flamewar came dangerously close to killing you this time. This was…one too many times. It was too close for comfort."

"I doubt she'll try it again, though." Gina said proudly. "Not when my boyfriend is protected by two inhumans and a heavily armed android."

"No, she won't try the same trick twice. She'll move onto something bigger. Flamewar is partnered with another rogue ex-Con, along with who knows how many insecticons at her command. She won't stay small scale forever."

The room was silent as everyone processed her words. This nightmare was far from over.

"I'm sorry to bring the mood down, guys." Arcee apologized, standing up. "I'll head back to the Ark for a quick recharge and—"

The door suddenly flung open and Gina's mother, Julia, came running in.

"Mom?" Gina exclaimed, getting up. "What's wrong?"

"It's all over the news!" Julia exclaimed. "London is under attack by swarms of giant robot insects!"

XXXXXX

Arcee had been called back to the Ark after news of the insecticon invasion of Britannia's capital city spread. Optimus was assembling everyone capable of being deployed, he even commissioned the Minicons to provide some additional service, and gave everyone a booster shot of ore-13 to have on hand in case things got difficult, which everyone was sure of.

The insecticons numbered around 56 according to reports, with the possibility of more being held back in reserve. What's worse was that all of the insecticons showed signs of being empowered by ore-13. This was definitely Flamewar's big push and she wanted the whole world to see it.

Optimus wasted no time in ordering a ground bridge and led his team into the portal. When they emerged into London, the city was already in chaos. The royal army was already mobilized, par fighting off the swarm, part evacuating civilians out of harms ways. Already there were several human casualties, with almost two dozen Britannian talos already lying across the ground in pieces.

"Autobots, assist the military in repelling the insecticons!" Optimus bellowed. "Ratchet, Lifeline, Hound, located and evac as many humans from the area as possible! The rest of you, destroy the insecticons!"

The Autobots scattered, immediately fighting the insecticons and helping local rescue teams assist in recovering any civilians caught in the fighting. The entire city, Britannia's seat of power, soon became one large battlefield between man and beast.

XXXXXX

"I must say, this is much more entertaining to watch that human dramas." Starscream grinned.

Knockout rolled his eyes. He, Starscream, and the rest of the Cons were watching the breaking news coverages on the insecticon swarm on London.

"This is madness," Nightshade muttered. "Has Flamewar lost her damned mind?"

"You think she had any sanity to begin with?" Leader-1 chuckled. Nightshade glared down at him.

"Should we do something, Megatron?" Nightshade asked.

"Why waste time and energy meddling in this chaos? Let the Autobots clean up Flamewar and Airachnid's mess." Megatron said. "Whoever wins, we'll destroy without mercy."

XXXXXX

At the Harkins' residence, the children were arguing about what they should be doing in this situation.

"We've got to help them!" Annie yelled at her brother. "We can easily take a ground bridge to the Ark and get our talos. We'll be unstoppable with Mjolnir and Excalibur!"

"I'm not going out there in that hell." Grindor protested. "We'll be slaughtered!"

"He's right, Annie. Even our talos are only so strong against that many enemies, and they have ore-13 on their side." Gina said.

"We've fought against Megatron and lived!"

"Annie, we barely survived that fight." Darren said. "A swarm of hopped up insecticons will take us out if they come at us all at once."

Annie looked at her friends, human and Minicon, and saw that she was alone in this fight. No one wanted to go. "But…Bulkhead, Bee, Arcee…they're all our friends. We can't let them fight this alone."

"I know, Annie, but this time, it's too dangerous even for us." High Wire said. "I'm sorry."

"Why are the insecticons attacking a city in the first place?" Asked Sureshock.

"It's because of Flamewar and Airachnid. They command the insecticons and this attack is their idea of getting back at the world…at us." Darren said bitterly.

'Please be safe, guys.' Darren thought.

XXXXXX

The battle between the Autobots and insecticons only lasted for almost half an hour and the collateral damage caused as a result was obscene in scale. Skyfire and Tomahawk were helping the royal air force fight the insecticons in the air and it was a touch and go situation.

"Stay close to me!" Skyfire said, leading a squadron of royal fighters into the heart of the swarm, blasting apart insecticons with the other fighters. Some fighters were shot down by stray energy blasts, but Skyfire made sure to cover for the remaining pilots. "I'll try to cover you all, just shoot down as many as you can!"

"Yes ma'am!" The pilots chanted, knowing that she was their only chance for surviving this battle.

Down on the ground Tomahawk was providing support to ground units in her attack helicopter alt mode. Optimus was shooting down insecticons with his ion rifle while cutting them down with his battle axe.

"Prime, we're managing to kill them, but it's taking a lot of firepower." Tomahawk said.

"The ore-13 will wear off the harder we hit them. Just hang in there, Tomahawk." Optimus said.

Tomahawk fired two proton missiles into the chest of an insecticon, but another warrior pounced on her from a rooftop. Tomahawk tried to remain airborne, but they both crashed to the ground. Tomahawk transformed and tried to shoot it down, but the warrior rammed into her, pinning her to the ground. The insecticon roared in her face, but a missile hitting its spine made it reel back in pain.

"That's not how you treat a lady!" A Lancelot talos opened fire on the insecticon, peppering its face and chest with AP bullets that distracted it long enough for Tomahawk to behead it with her rotor blades.

"Thanks." She said.

"Anytime, ma'am." The pilot said and looked around at the devastated area. "Is there an end to this invasion? I don't think my comrades can hold out anymore."

"There is, but we've go to work for it." Tomahawk transformed and flew down the street. "I'll cover for you, but you need to regroup with your team…"

"The name's Private Ian Chesterson, ma'am. At your service." He said before following after her. Now was not the time for talk, they had a long battle ahead of them.

XXXXXX

"Come on and get some!" Cliffjumper unleashed his newly acquired rapid fire plasma cannon (borrowed from Ironhide after much begging) on the approaching swarm. The thing was power, but the bugs were tanking a lot of damage before finally dropping. "How much ammo does it take to kill these things?"

"A lot!" Wheeljack said before dodging a clawed swipe from a warrior and stabbing it in the neck. He changed his other hand into a blaster and shot at its face until its head was a smoldering wreck.

"Scrap." Cliffjumper growled and continued shooting at the insecticons. There was already a pile of bodies at his feet, but more were coming at him. "Wheeljack!"

"Throwing an EMP! Get clear!" Wheeljack made to throw an EMP grenade, but he was hit from behind by a laser blast that made him lose his grip on the grenade. "Slag!"

"Wheeljack!" Cliffjumper saw the grenade go off and engulf Wheeljack and the two insecticons near him in an EMP wave that instantly knocked them both into stasis. "No, no, no, don't screw this up for me, you nutjob!"

He ran over to Wheeljack and looked him over, trying to rouse him, but it was no use. For once, Wheeljack's grade A grenades worked against him and the engineer was out of the fighting. Cliffjumper cursed and began dragging Wheeljack out of the street.

"Of all the dead weight I get saddled with, it's you." He grunted. "Don't worry, I'll call someone up to get you out of here."

"You won't be calling anyone!"

Cliffjumper looked up to Airachnid atop a lamp post just as she shot a beam from her palm. Enhanced by ore-13 her palm blasters were more powerful, and a single blast to the chest knocked Cliffjumper across the street and into a car. Airachnid walked over to him on her six back legs and stood over him.

"I was hoping to snag someone important like Jazz or Ironhide, but I suppose you'll do for a good Bumblebee replica." Airachnid smirked. "Maybe a second place trophy. You do seem like a second place seat warmer."

"Go frag yourself—gah!" Cliffjumper screamed when she stabbed one of her legs into the sizzling hole in his chest where she shot him.

"The only sound I want to hear from you are your screams, Autobot." Airachnid said and raised her other leg to impale him in someplace more vital.

Before she could land a fatal blow, Airachnid's leg was blasted off by a laser blast. She hissed and looked down the street to see Moonracer and Rodimus running towards her.

"Finally, a challenge!" Airachnid grinned.

"Airachnid, step away from him and surrender immediately!" Moonracer commanded, pointing her rifle at Airachnid's head.

"Like I'm going to surrender to you!" She spat and lunged at the duo.

Moonracer and Rodimus jumped apart and shot at Airachnid. Their laser blasts hit her directly but she showed no damage as she lunged at Rodimus, unfolding her legs to kick him in the face before spinning around and slashing at Moonracer. Moonracer stumbled back and used her rifle to block an attack from Airachnid.

"I'm going to enjoy giving your head to Flamewar." Airachnid cackled. "It'll make this whole battle worth it."

"Where is she?" Moonracer demanded.

Airachnid kicked her away and ducked under an electrostatic blast from Rodimus. He ran into her and pinned her to the ground.

"The lady asked you a question!" He growled.

"Where do you think she is?" She smirked. "She's off to have one last dance with her lover."

XXXXXX

On the other side of the city, the fighting was just as fierce. Ironhide was leading the effort to route the enemy with his group of Autobots, though they were being stretched thin, pushed to their limits in using all their firepower just to bring the insecticons down.

Arcee and Jazz were covering the rescue teams recovering the wounded. Lancelot talos units were posted alongside them to help them fight off the insecticons. These gold and purple talos were incredibly fast and strong, and their pilots were a great help to the Autobots.

"Jazz, where's Ironhide?" Arcee asked.

"I think he's in the city square. He and Armorhide were fighting the brunt of the swarm." Jazz said, freezing two insecticons with his cryo-blaster.

Arcee jumped onto the back of a charging insecticon and leapt onto its back, swiftly beheading it before throwing her sword to impale another one in the head. She landed on her feet and heard a scream, seeing two women trying to run from another insecticon.

"Oh no you don't!" Arcee transformed and sped towards them, swerving around to sweep its legs from under it. Smoothly changing modes mid-action, she stabbed it in the neck and tore out its neck cables. She then turned to the frightened humans. "Go find a place to arrive until help arrives."

The two women nodded and ran down the street. Arcee retrieved her swords and regrouped with Jazz.

"We need to find Ironhide. He might be able to help organize the rescue effort." Jazz said, but he was cut off by Arcee.

"Look out!" Arcee pushed Jazz aside just as an insecticon crashed into her, flying off into the air with her stuck on its head.

"Cee!"

Arcee stabbed the insecticon fling off with her in the back, but it still kept flying despite its wounds. "Just die already!"

The insecticon didn't relent until it reached its destination—an old church in an area of the city that was mostly left untouched. It finally succumbed to its wounds and crashed into the ground, tearing up the street as its large body skidded through the asphalt, Arcee jumped off its body and rolled onto her feet.

"Stupid fragging bug!" She muttered angrily. "I'm going to…"

Arcee's voice caught in her throat as her expression turned into one of horror as she took a good look at the church courtyard.

There were human bodies littering the courtyard, all missing their heads. Men, women, children, all scattered across the ground like discarded pieces of trash. Arcee looked at the main building and saw a long row of metal spikes lined up in front of the cathedral, and they all had human heads stuck on them like horrific effigies. Arcee couldn't even comprehend the senseless level of violence that had been committed on holy ground.

"Like the decorations, Arcee?"

Arcee looked to the top of the church and saw Flamewar standing there, smirking at Arcee's horror.

"I wanted to put Darren's head on there, along with his sisters, but I had to improvise." Flamewar said in a disturbingly calm tone. "If you circle along back, I have some of those human army grunts crucified to liven the place up."

Arcee was filled with a burning hatred she never knew she was capable of as she glared up at Flamewar. "Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you doing this?" She growled.

"You know why, Arcee. It's because of you. It's always been because of you. I want to make you cry, make you scream, make you hurt, because I want the whole damn universe to know that you aren't the perfect, pretty little femme everyone worshipped back on Cybertron." Flamewar sneered. "Your beauty and strength is only skin deep compared to me, and this is the result. People die, and it's all because of you!"

Both femmes glared at each other in pure hatred. Arcee ignited her swords while Flamewar's arm blades slide out.

"I'm going to tear you limb from limb and scatter your parts across the ocean!" Arcee snarled.

"Then what are you waiting for, Arcee?" Flamewar taunted. "Come and put me in my place!"

The two femmes leapt at each other, their wrathful cries filling the air as they clashed for the final time.

XXXXXX

Moonracer and Rodimus continued to fight Airachnid, but even together they were unable to do lasting damage on her. Fully charged on ore-13, Airachnid was going strong, and the growing number of shallow cuts on their bodies was proof of that.

"It's useless, little girl." Airachnid cackled, flipping over a swipe from Moonracer's spear and kicked her in the head. "I can do this all day."

"But we know you can't!" Moonracer transformed her spear into sniper mode and fired a shot at Airachnid's head, which was deflected. "Even you and Flamewar should know ore-13's limitations."

"We do, but you'll be dead before we reach our limit." Airachnid said.

"Don't count us out just yet!" Rodimus grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground, only for Airachnid to twist her body and drag him right into her uppercut.

Moonracer rushed in and slashed at her face, but Airachnid grabbed her spear and weaved around the blade, punching Moonracer to the ground. Airachnid raised her claws to impale her, but someone else slammed into her and knocked her off.

"Payback's a glitch!" Cliffjumper hollered, raising his vibro-blade above his head for an attack.

"You little worm!" Airachnid grabbed the blade and snapped it right off Cliffjumper's arm before stabbing it into his shoulder. "I'll use you for spare parts!"

Moonracer jumped up and kicked the back of her head. Airachnid stumbled forward but she caught Moonracer's next kick and slammed her elbow into the sniper's knee, breaking it. Airachnid then threw Moonracer to the ground and began punching her repeatedly in the face.

"I have an army. I have the power of ore-13 on my side. I have twice as much experience as the three of you combined in warfare!" Airachnid screamed, punching Moonracer in the jaw. "What do you have that'll turn things in your favor, little girl?"

Moonracer spat out a glob of energon and grinned up at her enemy. "We have Mirage."

The blue and white mech appeared out of thin air behind Airachnid and stabbed his vibro-blade into her back. Airachnid gasped as the blade tore through her chest, though it didn't immediately kill her.

She tried to use her back legs to attack Mirage, but Moonracer quickly grabbed her discarded sniper rifle and pointed it at the ex-Con's head. Airachnid hissed angrily as Moonracer pulled the trigger and shot a bullet directly into her face, exploding her head in a gory mess of metal and energon.

Mirage kicked Airachnid's body away and helped Moonracer up. "Thanks for the save. You alright?"

"My legs is broken, my face hurts and I can barely see out of my left eye, but honestly," She looked at Airachnid's headless body. "I'm feeling better than her right now."

XXXXXX

Arcee didn't know what getting hit by Omega Supreme felt like, but she was sure that this was close.

When she and Flamewar collided in mid-air, there was a thunderous boom before Arcee was thrown into a building. They crashed through several rooms and smashed apart the foundations, causing the building to collapse behind them as they came rolling out of the wreckage. When the dust cleared, Flamewar was standing over a dazed Arcee with a baleful glare on her face.

"Get up, Arcee. I want you at your best when I kill you." Flamewar spat. "I want to see how hard you'll fight before I scatter your parts across this—"

Arcee leapt up and punched Flamewar in the chin, knocking her back. Flamewar grinned.

"Oh, I actually felt that."

Arcee tackled Flamewar into another building, pummeling her face hard enough to chip the metal on her fists. Flamewar dodged her next punch and grabbed her throat.

"Surely you can do better than that!" Flamewar cackled. Arcee threw dirt into her eyes and kicked herself free. "Ah, you glitch!"

"That was a warmup!" Arcee shouted.

Arcee drew her swords and began slashing wildly at Flamewar. Flamewar's arm blades came out and parried some of her attacks, but for the most part, Arcee landed most of her strikes. Sparks flew from her armor as Arcee's blades hit her body, but Flamewar remained unharmed thanks to the ore-13.

Flamewar smirked at Arcee and rammed into her. Shooting out of the ruined building and across the street, Arcee kicked her away and slashed at Flamewar's eyes, but only managed to crack her optic lens.

"Enough games." Flamewar said and threw a punch into Arcee's face.

The punch was far stronger than Arcee's previous blows. It completely shattered Arcee's left optic lens and disabled the optic completely, leaving her half blind. The Autobot herself was sent flying back a couple of blocks, crashing through cars and trashed insecticon bodies before coming to a stop after crashing into a truck.

"Slag…" Arcee groaned in pain. She tried to move, but half her face felt like it was on fire.

Flamewar, who was charging down the street like a mad bull, leapt into the air and landed on Arcee's chest, their combined weight crushing the truck under them. She threw Arcee into the ground and kicked her further down the street several feet away. Flamewar raced after her and grabbed her head before dragging it through the concrete.

"I don't know about you, but I'm having the time of my life!" Flamewar yelled, slamming her fists down into Arcee's chest, burying her deeper into the street. "Come on, keep going! When I'm done with you, I'll kill everyone else, don't you forget that!"

A red blur rushed into Flamewar's vision—it was Peppercat, who had disengaged from Arcee to attack Flamewar herself.

"Leave her alone, nya!" Peppercat hissed.

"Filthy little animal!" Flamewar growled and smacked Peppercat aside.

Peppercat landed on her feet and charged at Flamewar again…only for Arcee to rush in and grab the Minicon.

"Pepper, get out of here!" Arcee said.

"No! Peppercat can help you, nya!" The Minicon said, struggling in Arcee's grip. "We can beat her."

"No, she'll kill you!" Arcee threw Peppercat into a water fountain just as Flamewar barreled into her.

"Fool! While I was tearing that Minicon apart, you could have called for reinforcements!" Flamewar taunted. "Don't you know anything about self-preservation?"

She slammed Arcee into the ground again. "Where's that warrior's spirit people praise you for? Show me your power! Show me what everyone think you had!"

Arcee slammed her head into Flamewar's face and began punching and kicking her. Flamewar was pushed back by the assault, but she was far from seriously harmed. She caught Arcee's fist and glared at her.

"If that is all the strength you possess," She sneered. "Then this is not going to end well for you."

XXXXXX

Moonracer hissed as Ratchet welded together her broken armor on her unusable leg. Next to her, Rodimus and Cliffjumper were also receiving treatment from the good doctor.

"The brace should keep your leg supported until I can properly treat it. Just don't go sprinting in it, okay?" Ratchet said before moving onto Rodimus.

"How are you feeling, Wheeljack?" Rodimus asked.

"I'm fine, but my pride's a bit smashed." Wheeljack grumbled. "Taken out by my own grenade. Primus, that's embarrassing!"

"Quit your whining. You escape getting your ass handed to you by Airachnid." Cliffjumper said. He rolled his wounded shoulder and hissed. "Damn it, it still stings."

The battle of London was finally beginning to taper off. With Airachnid's death, the insecticons lacked the coherent unity they had under her command. Furthermore, the ore-13 was finally beginning to wear off thanks to the combined firepower of the Autobots and the royal army.

"At least Airachnid's dead. I'm sure Arcee will be happy about that, huh Moonracer?" Rodimus turned to Moonracer, who didn't look as happy as she should be. "Moonracer, something wrong?"

"It's Arcee, she's not answering my calls." Moonracer said. "And I can feel her…she's in pain. Arcee's in trouble!"

XXXXXX

"If you're not going to take this seriously, then it's over!"

Flamewar took Arcee by the arm and threw her repeatedly into the ground before throwing her straight through an apartment building. Before Arcee could hit the ground, Flamewar jumped up and kicked her in the back, digging her face through the ground. Arcee was half-buried in rubble as Flamewar stood over her, ready to slit her throat.

"Look at you. To think I once loved you. Looked up to you. Worshipped you." She spat. "Killing you will close a dark chapter in my life and finally set me free!"

"Arcee!"

Jazz landed on Flamewar from above, slamming his laser staff into her head and throwing her into a coffee shop. He starting digging his friend up to get her away.

"Come on, Cee, get up!" jazz said, pulling her out of the hole she was in.

"J-Jazz?" It hurt for Arcee to even talk. "Get out of here. She'll kill you."

"You can't fight her alone, Cee." Jazz said. "We can take her together. Just like Megatron."

"I'm no Megatron! I'm faster and stronger than that old gasket!" Flamewar got to her feet, wiping energon from her cut cheek. "Wanna see?"

Flamewar sprinted forward and was within Jazz's guard within seconds. He threw a swipe at her face, but she caught his staff and shattered it in her hand before punching him in the face. Flamewar delivered an uppercut to his chin and lifted him above her by his arm and leg.

"Do you feel your body starting to rip apart?" Flamewar growled, slowly pulling on Jazz's opposing limbs. "It starts with your spinal strut dislocating, then you'll feel your servos start straining, if you're able to focus through the pain you'll feel your mess being pulled to its breaking point. It's a surreal experience when you try it for the first time!"

"NOOOO!"

Flamewar crashed into Flamewar and they rolled across the ground. Arcee threw a punch at Flamewar, who caught her fist and headbutted her before punching her away.

"It doesn't matter who volunteers, I'll eat your Sparks all the same!" Flamewar snarled savagely.

XXXXXX

"Teletran, locate Arcee's position and bridge me there immediately."

"Autobot Arcee's signal is moving rapidly across the city, so it will take some time to pinpoint her position." Teletran-1 said. "Autobot Moonracer, your status shows that you are injured. Are you sure you still want to—"

"Just do it!"

XXXXXX

As she was being pummeled by Flamewar, Arcee realized something—Flamewar made some modifications to herself. Namely the high powerful jet boosters built into her legs. They allowed Flamewar to move at high speeds as she smashed Arcee through multiple buildings, completely demolishing everything in her path. Arcee's face smashed into a fountain before she finally broke free of Flamewar's grip on her head and punching her hard enough to send her flying back…right into the butt of a staff slamming into her jaw.

Arcee's eyes widened when she saw who it was. "No…"

"Stay away from my sister!" Moonracer growled. She was almost as beat up as Arcee was, her armor dented and cut with a brace on her right leg.

"Moonracer," Flamewar purred, purple eyes flashing sadistically. "It'll be a joy to kill you again!"

"No!" Arcee grabbed Flamewar from behind to hold her back. "Moon, get out of here, now!"

"So concerned for others' safety." Flamewar slammed her elbow into Arcee's head and broke free. "You really are pathetic."

Flamewar knelt down and chopped Arcee's left leg hard enough to break it. Arcee screamed and fell over, clutching her leg in pain.

"Sis!" Moonracer exclaimed."

"First rule of combat, girl!" Flamewar boosted at Moonracer. "Never take your eyes off the enemy!"

Flamewar landed a punch to Moonracer's face with enough force to completely sheer away the mesh on her right cheek, exposing and breaking her jaw in the process. Then Flamewar pulled her arm back and shoved her open hand into Moonracer's chest, her fingers emerging through the femme's back.

"So young," Flamewar whispered, staring into Moonracer's darkening eyes and ravaged face. "Such a waste."

Flamewar tossed Moonracer's body aside like it was unwanted scrap. Arcee stumbled over to her sister, just barely catching her body and fell to her knees with a choked cry. Moonracer, half her face smashed and nearly unrecognizable, weakly looked up at Arcee and made a gurgling sound.

"Don't try to talk, save your strength." Arcee whispered, holding her close. "The others will be here soon. They'll help."

"I wouldn't count on it."

Flamewar calmly walked down the street, energon staining her hands and chest. She looked at the sisters with a mixture of disgust and pity.

"She must have really cared for you to do what she did. Surely she wasn't stupid enough to think she could actually hurt me. She only did all this for you." Flamewar said. "Love, family, friends—it all breeds weakness, and with weakness comes pain. It brings misery. Are you feeling that right now, Arcee?"

Arcee wasn't listening to her. "Moon, come on, stay with me!"

"Not long, eh? If you got anything important to tell her, better get it off your chest now." Flamewar scowled and shook her head as Moonracer's eyes finally went dark.

"You know, Arcee, I want to thank you. Really. From the bottom of my Spark. It's not very often I get to relive a cherished memory like this. Breaking you in the exact same way, and with the bonus of watching you cry. It's almost therapeutic in a sense." She said. "I loved you once, but even love is only as strong as the lovers. Listening to people constantly praise you as this perfect little femme even when you did not deserve it was maddening, and it brought me so much joy to make you suffer all those stellar cycles ago, just like it does now. So thank you, Arcee, for loving others. For giving me a chance to break you again and again and again."

Arcee said nothing, still cradling Moonracer as she slowly placed her sister down.

"Dead? Good." Flamewar said in a bored tone. "I take it I have your full attention now?"

Arcee's battered face swung around to glare at Flamewar with such burning hatred that her eyes glowed.

"I don't care how strong you are. I don't care how fast you are." Arcee snarled. "I'll make sure you won't live to see tomorrow!"

Flamewar laughed. "After everything I've done, after everything you've endured at my hand, still you threaten me. I have enough ore-13 running through my system to last me an hour. You'll be dead before your friends can help you."

Arcee stood up on her good leg and charged at Flamewar.

"Okay then." Flamewar sighed and ran at the mad Autobot. "Do your worst!"

The two femmes lunged at each other, their fists poised for strike. When they threw their punches forward, two things happened. First, Arcee's arm broke upon contact. Second, Arcee's punch completely shattered Flamewar's arm.

Flamewar stumbled back, looking at her missing arm with a shocked look before Arcee punched her again.

"Even if I die, I'll make sure to drag you with me so you'll never enjoy your victory!" Arcee roared, punching Flamewar again.

"Being enraged doesn't make you stronger." Flamewar wrapped her mismatched arms around Arcee in a bear hug and squeezed. "That's not how this wo-AHHHHH!"

Arcee sank her teeth into Flamewar's shoulder and pulled her head back, ripping out a large chunk of her armor and the circuits underneath. Flamewar pushed Arcee away and the pink Autobot spat the chunk of mess out of her mouth. She rushed forward and ducked under Flamewar's next punch before hitting her in the face and knocking her over. Flamewar fell onto her back and Arcee mounted her, reading to turn her entire face into scrap, but Flamewar caught her next punch in an iron grip.

"I've got more than enough fight in me for you, bastard!" Flamewar roared.

She increased the pressure on Arcee's hand to its breaking point and crushed it in her grip, making Arcee scream.

"See?" Flamewar rasped. "More than enough."

Arcee screamed as Flamewar continued crushing her hand, but she remained strong.

"Not enough," She growled. "Not nearly!"

Arcee slammed her head into Flamewar's face, nearly caving it in.

"When you go to hell, I want you to know who killed you!"

She headbutted Flamewar again as hard as she could.

"I want my face to be the last thing you see!"

Flamewar tried to speak, but Arcee headbutted her again and again and again and again. She didn't stop or slow down even as her vision was blinded in a haze of Flamewar's purple energon. She didn't stop when her optics shattered from the force of her blows. She didn't stop when her face began to numb from the pain. She just didn't stop until she was sure Flamewar was dead.

It wasn't until her head hit solid concrete that Arcee finally stopped. Flamewar's had was little more than a pile of metal and energon, and bits of her brain module were embedded in Arcee's face. There was nothing left.

Arcee panted, her face covered in energon. The overcharge began to wear off and fell over, her body falling to lay side by side next to the beaten corpse of her ex-lover. Rain fell over them as Arcee's body finally gave out and she fell unconscious.

XXXXXX

When Arcee woke up, she was in the medibay, her body resting on a medical slab. Her wounds, from her damaged face to her broken hands, were all mostly healed.

'Ratchet must have worked on me" She thought groggily.

"Arcee?"

Optimus walked up to her, looking down at her with a warm gaze.

"Optimus?" Arcee whispered. "How…long have I…?"

"You've been in stasis for three days. You fractured your brain case in three places and disabled your left eye. Ratchet spent several hours working to repair you, but you still have some ways to go before you're fully healed." Optimus said.

"What happened?" She asked.

Optimus narrowed his eyes. "You mean…you don't remember? Do you remember anything?"

"No, I…" Arcee's voice caught in her throat. "I remember Flamewar and…and Moonracer. She's dead and…" She couldn't even say it.

"Arcee," Optimus said softly. "Moonracer is alive."

Arcee blinked up at him. "What?"

Optimus took a datapad and showed her footage from the Rec room, which showed Moonracer, alive and well, speaking to Darren and Gina. If Arcee could cry, her face would be wet with tears by now.

"How…how is she…?" Arcee could barely get the question out.

Optimus ignored the stinging pain in his chest and managed to keep himself from wincing. "She was on the verge, but we managed to save her before her Spark extinguished."

"Thank Primus." Arcee breathed. "But…what about the insecticons? And London—"

"There have been many human casualties, and the city was heavily damaged, but we've beaten the swarm entirely." Optimus sighed. "But the fallout of this attack will be…immense."

Arcee frowned, but Optimus patted her head and stood up.

"That's an issue for another day. You must get some rest and recover. I'll send Moonracer in to see you later."

"Thank you, Optimus." Arcee said softly.

Optimus left the room and Arcee was alone again. She watched the video feed of her sister for a few minutes before lying back down and giving a sob. Flamewar was dead. The nightmare was over.

It was finally over.

* * *

**That's the end of that. I was in the middle of reading the Invincible comic series while writing this chapter, and the intense fights in that comic inspired me to ****make Arcee and Flamewar's final clash as brutal as possible. Next chapter we'll focus on OZ as the Autobots run into Pisces and his associates once again. I ****would also like to add that I am currently nearing forty chapters in the rough draft of this story, so it's gonna be a long one folks. Be sure to check out the ****official Transformers Titan website on Wordpress, directions to which are in my profile. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	18. Intellectual Properties

Chapter 18-Intellectual Properties

"You've had many bad ideas in the past, Pisces, but this may be your most foolish one yet."

'For once, Scorpio, I may be inclined to agree with you.' Pisces thought, though he did not say it out loud.

The two generals were waiting for their new business partner to arrive and begin their meeting. They only had a small squad of soldiers equipped with state of the art armor and weapons…made of plastic. On a normal day, even these weapons would be more than enough to handle any human threat—but they weren't meeting ordinary humans.

"Tell me, Pisces," Scorpio said. "Do we know how many members he's bringing?"

"No."

"Do we know who he's bringing?"

"No."

"Do we even—"

Scorpio, I'm not in the mood for your childish ranting so please shut your mouth and go brood in a corner." Pisces said curtly.

Scorpio growled and marched towards his fellow Zodiac. "Listen, you little—"

A small hand planted itself on his chest and stopped Scorpio in his tracks. He looked down into the masked face of Pisces's little killer, the inhuman Pandora. Hardly intimidated by the powerful girl, Scorpio glared down at her.

"Pisces, you better call off your little guard dog before I give Doctor Bergen a reason to hunt you down." Scorpio warned.

"Pandora, stand down. He's not going to do anything."

The girl took a step back, but still kept her eyes on Scorpio. Pisces stood up and walked over to his brother.

"I understand your anger, Scorpio, but this is a direct order from Sagittarius. Espers are an area of OZ we have little to no hold over, thanks to their psychics. Until now that would've been fine, but with our war with the Cybertronians going as badly as it is—"

"What about the Thrones? Are they not our trump card?" Scorpio asked.

"Leo is still training them. They'll be given back to us when they're good and ready. His words, not mine." Pisces said and sighed. "Our position in Osea is tenuous, especially with the government actively hunting us now. We need trump cards of our own to bloody their noses. Trump cards that aren't based off dismembered Minicon corpses."

"I know, but of all people it had to be Karaba."

The air suddenly shifted and everyone became alert. Pisces and Scorpio saw a pink flash of light before a portal opened up in front of them. Three people exited the portal: the first was the Karaba field commander, Fauntleroy, and the second was Magda Lehnsherr, Karaba's second in command. The last person to appear was the leader of Karaba himself, Dreyas, the Master of Magnetism.

'So he's brought his son in law and wife along as backup. He's not playing around.' Pisces thought. This man focused on quality, not quantity. These three espers were more than enough to handle an entire squad of men.

Dreyas was a taller, handsome man with dark skin and long black, curly hair. His indigo eyes were as hard as stone, and he wore a white bodysuit made of Kevlar and some other elastic material Pisces couldn't identify that outlined his muscular physique. Sharing a discreet glance with Scorpio, Pisces stepped forward and greeted their guests.

"Greetings, High Leader Dreyas. It has been a while—"

"Hold your tongue, Pisces." Dreyas said coldly. "You have balls coming to speak with me after your crimes."

"My crimes? Dreyas, I don't—"

"Your people fund our enemies," Magda said. "Your companies make weapons to restrain and kill espers, all while fanning the flames to better make a profit. Don't think that we aren't watching you."

"You've been making our jobs harder than it needs to be, goo sir." Fauntleroy smirked.

'Shit, these people are well-informed.' Scorpio thought.

"I won't deny my involvement in Osea's growing conflict with espers, but rest assured it was only in the name of business, not personal views. I have a high opinion of you and our cause, Dreyas." Pisces held up his hands to show that he meant no harm. "I simply came here to talk."

Dreyas glared at him for a good minute before nodding to the Zodiac. "Speak."

"Dreyas, I prose an alliance before OZ and Karaba. As you already know, Oseas's relationship with the Autobots grows every day, and their alliance is causing us some serious trouble." Pisces explained. "Osea has now become aware of OZ's existence and is collaborating with the Autobots to take us out."

"I fail to see how this concerns Karaba." Dreyas said.

"The Autobots share limited amounts of technological information with the Osean government, as per their agreement." Scorpio said. "No weapons are to be traded, but there are already less savory elements of the government and military are already seeking to weasel out cybertronian technology under their radar. That includes anti-esper factions within the military."

"And so we're offering you a place at the table." Pisces said. "A chance to trade our resources to better combat our enemies."

"What could you offer us that we could not simply take?" Magda asked, crossing her arms. "We have spies in the Osean government, even within the Human Front. We've done well against the ERD—"

"But with our resources you can make the lives of those under your command much easier. Weapons, defenses, even ways to combat their talos. Your powers can only get you so far, you know."

Dreyas thought about it and Pisces mentally grinned. He knew he already had the terrorist leader hook the moment he said weapons.

"How about I show you a demonstration? OZ's near limitless resources are thanks to part to our access to a little piece of cybertronian technology."

"You'll love it." Scorpio grinned. "We call it the Cube."

Dreyas looked between the two men for a moment before he nodded. "Tell me more."

XXXXXX

"_The city of London has sustained heavy damage in the wake of what the Autobots are calling an Insecticon attack. The death toll has reached into the thousands, mainly from the opening attack before the military was mobilized. Though the insectoid aliens were repelled by the joint efforts of the royal military and the Autobots, the collateral damage caused by the battle is still great, and hundreds have been left homeless from the particularly fierce battle between Autobot Arcee and an ex-Decepticon rogue. We have been unable to get a proper interview with either the Autobots or royal army officials, but it's clear that these "Insecticons" are cybertronian in nature."_

Optimus turned the solivision off and crossed his arms. "What a mess."

Prowl walked into the room carrying a datapad. Seeing Prime's weariness, he asked, "You still watching the news?"

"Yes, and it hasn't gotten any easier to watch." Optimus said.

"As unexpected the attack had been, Prime, it could have been much worse if we hadn't intervened in time." Prowl said. Hardly comforting words, but at least Prowl was trying. "It's no use in lamenting on alternatives. What has happened, happened."

Over a week had passed since that chaotic battle in London, Aurelia, and the city was still rebuilding from the mass destruction caused from the assault. The death count had finally slowed down, but it was still too high, and the collateral damage was enough to worry even Prowl. Despite the destruction, the Britannian Royal Family and government had formally thanked the Autobots for their humanitarian efforts during and after the battle.

Optimus and any capable Autobots returned to the city to aid in rescue and recovery. They had found more than their fair share of bodies under the rubble and debris (and yes, they did find Flamewar's little church of horrors. The less said about that, the better) and Ratchet and Lifeline provided medical aid for the injured.

In the meantime, Arcee and Moonracer were given some time off to recover from their physical and mental wounds. Arcee was going to need a lot of time to recover from her harrowing battle and still walked about in a daze, as if she were still dreaming. The emotional shock she suffered was going to take a while to bounce back from.

"Anything new on Barnett's end?" Prowl asked.

"Colonel Barnett is at Washington trying to appease the Senate. This surprise attack has many unsettled, especially considering that Flamewar could have easily set that swarm on a city like New York or Chicago."

"I don't envy the man." Prowl said, knowing how much of a headache it was dealing with politicians.

"And that also means I will be meeting with the president and his joint chiefs to explain the situation." Optimus sighed. "Arcee and Flamewar's battle caused almost as much damage as the Insecticons and I have to run damage control. I'm leaving you in command until I return, Prowl."

"Understood, sir." Prowl nodded. "Into the fire we go."

Optimus smiled. "Onward and downward."

XXXXXX

Dreyas was a man with a mission: to make the world a safe place for espers and show the savage humans their place in the evolutionary line.

He had spent thirty years uniting the oppressed espers of the world into a coherent fighting force. He had ran into some expected and unexpected roadblocks, but so far things were going good for him. All in all, he didn't get this far by being stupid or reckless.

Which was why he was hesitant about fully trusting these people…OZ. Not only were they deeply entrenched in the business of making and selling anti-esper technology to capture and kill espers, they were also the type of people to demand absolute subservience from their partners…or death. Dreyas knew that any alliance between Karaba and OZ wouldn't last long as OZ's hold over the planet grew.

Still, he was hard pressed to deny that they didn't have resources to both surpass and combat the conventional armies of the world's strongest nations. OZ was even able to combat the cybertronians, something that he desperately needed to reinforce Karaba. So as it was, it would be at least polite to listen to Pisces' offer…for now.

The Zodiac general was leading Dreyas and his two subordinates towards a mobile base set up inside an old Air Force base in the southwestern part of the country. Dreyas had to admire their adaptability.

'Sir, are you sure we should trust these people?' Fauntleroy asked via the telepathic link created by one of their agents for instant communication.

'OZ is not an organization that should be taken lightly unless you have the means to fight them. I will not blindly fight them without good reason.' Dreyas told his son-in-law. 'Let's see what they have to offer before passing judgment. Just be on your guard.'

Fauntleroy nodded. 'Yes sir.'

The car stopped right in front of the hangar doors and they left the vehicle. Pisces straightened his suit and turned to his guests.

"You see, gentlemen-and ladies-I know that for all your powers, you are still just a step behind the world in terms of resources and weaponry. You alone cannot defeat the entire Osean military, Dreyas. You'll need guns to do that." Pisces said.

"Guns you can provide." Dreyas stated. Pisces nodded.

"Exactly. What I'm about to show you is the crown jewel of our research into alien technology. Pilfered from the Autobots themselves. It's called, in basic terms, the Cube."

The hangar doors slid open and Dreyas, Magda and Fauntleroy were given a glimpse into the heart of OZ's darkness. Even the usually composed Fauntleroy couldn't hide his surprise.

"My god." He breathed.

The hangar was retrofitted into a command and research center bustling with activity. Dreyas had little interest in the scientists scurrying around like ants in a colony. His eyes were focused on the massive silver/grey cub in the middle of the hangar, connected to various cables hooked up to computers.

"This cube is made of the same bio-metal that composes their bodies. It essentially contains their genetic information." Pisces pointed to the nine foot tall humanoid androids lined up along the wall. "We translate the cube's energy pulses into information and use it as blueprints for our projects. Those robots are the result of our research into the cube's genetic material."

"Androids?" Magda inquired.

"Battle Assault Troopers, the first combat android in modern history, and they all belong to OZ." Pisces looked back at Dreyas. "But you can share in the rewards too."

Dreyas, though interested, was still cautious. "How about we discuss the terms of this potential…alliance? I know how OZ works. Any partner of your organization is always subservient to you. Karaba is anything but."

"I understand. We can talk inside." Pisces said, inwardly seething at Dreyas's arrogance.

'But that's okay.' He thought. 'It doesn't matter what he thinks. All people on Terra are subservient to OZ. they just don't know it yet.'

XXXXXX

For the first time of her life, Gina was bored. Actually, it wasn't that she was bored, it was just that she wasn't entirely focused on her work. With Darren and Annie recovering with Debbie from Flamewar's attack, Penny off on a family vacation and Kevin busy practicing for an upcoming basketball match, Gina was pretty much on her own with Sara and Sureshock as her companions. That seemed to be happening a lot to her lately.

"Gina?" Ratchet walked into the room, looking down at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Having Teletran-1 go over the stuff I found in Civ-Alpha. It's a bit of a slow process, though." Gina sighed.

Ratchet looked her over. "You look tired."

"I'm restless. Kinda the result of having been in the center of the action for so long." She said and looked down at her computer. "And I've been having a bad feeling."

"About what?"

"I don't know. Just a bad feeling. The same kind of feeling that led to me running into Pisces little inhuman pet."

"If you're feeling this uncomfortable, then I better prepare myself." Ratchet said as he stood back up.

"You believe me?"

"Gina, I know better than to disregard your "Gina Sense" after knowing you for so long."

Gina laughed at him, but an alert from Teletran-1 cut their talk short. **"Alert: Incoming call from Colonel Barnett."**

Gina and Ratchet shared a look. Looks like it was back to work.

XXXXXX

"What?" Optimus exclaimed.

Ratchet and Gina entered the room just as Barnett informed Optimus of a shocking new development.

"It's confirmed, Prime. Our sats just detected an OZ facility down in Ozark, smack dab in a former Osean Air Force base of all places." Barnett said.

"How did you find them?" Prowl asked.

"By pure chance. We were actually investigating a sudden energy spike our energon detectors just located and took a couple of pictures. You'll never guess who we found."

Barnett showed them two pictures of a contingent of soldiers assembled around an aircraft hangar, where a car was parked outside. Four people were standing outside the building, and one of them was easily recognizable.

"Pisces." Gina growled hatefully.

"Whose that with him?" Prowl pointed to the person standing next to Pisces. "The man in white."

"Another person of interest on our country's most wanted list." Barnett said grimly.  
Dreyas Lehnsherr, leader of Karaba."

"Karaba once again." Optimus grunted. "It would seem that OZ may be working on forging an alliance with Karaba."

"But Karaba wasn't nothing to do with humans." Gina said. "You don't think that Pisces would risk it, do you?"

"Karaba wouldn't even consider allying themselves with OZ…unless OZ has an enticing offer."

"Like offering to share their resources and advanced weaponry." Prowl said.

"And if that happens, Karaba may actually have the means to wage war on humanity." Gina said.

"How recent is this photo, colonel?" Optimus asked.

"It was taken just an hour ago. I scrambled to contact you as soon as we got visual confirmation. I can send you the base's location right away."

"Please do. This may be our only chance to capture a Zodiac." Optimus turned to Prowl. "Prowl, assemble a strike team. We're going in fast and hard to minimize any chances of a counterattack."

"Yes, Prime." Prowl said and immediately got to work.

"Prime, you need to be very careful on this mission. Dreyas is a very powerful esper. He can control magnetic fields along the electromagnetic spectrum and that includes being able to control metals." Barnett warned them. "I'm not sure how much your bodies will be affected by his powers, but watch yourself or he'll turn you into a trashcan."

"Understood." Optimus nodded and headed for the door.

Gina quietly let Optimus and Prowl walk past them without a word and made to follow them before someone spoke up behind her.

"Gina?"

"Jinkies!" Gina jumped, startled from Sara's sudden appearance. "Geez, Sara, don't do that!"

"You aren't going to ask them to come along on the mission?" Sara asked curiously. Gina sighed and shook her head.

"It won't do any good. Optimus will never let me go on a mission against OZ after that mess with the headmasters. No, this might require us to…bend a few rules." Gina adjusted her glasses, a dark look coming over her eyes. "As long as Pisces dies, I'm willing to take that risk."

XXXXXX

Optimus, Prowl, Ironhide, Bulkhead, Sideswipe and Jazz exited the ground bridge on the outskirts of the Air Force base. They stealthily made their way into the base, cautiously inching closer to where they believed the foreign energy source was coming from.

"Prowl, are you getting anything on your scanners?" Optimus asked over their internal comm.

"I'm not getting a single reading, prime. I'm not doubting our intel, but I think the energy source might be shielded." Prowl said.

"Perfect." Ironhide groaned.

"Everyone spread out and converge on Hangar E. Keep your eyes open, there may be traps." Optimus said.

"If that's the case, then we should've sprang them by now." Bulkhead said, glancing into an empty hangar.

The Autobots slowly closed in on the hangar, still not encountering any resistance…until they finally spotted one man standing in the middle of the walkway. He was a tall, muscular man wearing a form-fitting white bodysuit. His tan skin and long black hair framing his angular face. He looked attractive by human standards, but his eyes carried a predatory look more suited on a Decepticon than a human.

"The Autobots," He drawled with a smirk. "It's an honor to finally meet you face to face. And you must be Optimus Prime, yes?"

"That I am." Optimus confirmed, his body tensing up for a fight. "And you must be Dreyas Lehnsherr, leader of Karaba."

"Oh scrap." Bulkhead muttered.

"You are correct." Dreyas replied. "I assume you are here because of Pisces' blunder from earlier, right?"

"Maybe." Ironhide said, slowly leveling his cannons on the esper. "Look, we don't want any problems—"

"Oh, but you do have a problem with me. You see, you Autobots have already interfered with Karaba's affairs for far too long without suffering the consequences. That stops tonight. You may be Osea's alien attack dogs, but you underestimate Karaba at your peril." Dreyas growled.

"Where is Pisces and the rest of OZ?" Prowl demanded. "Did they already leave?"

"Maybe. If they hadn't run already, then they're bigger fools than I made them out to be." Dreyas smiled dangerously. "But enough talk. Let's get to trying to kill each other, shall we?"

Suddenly Prowl felt an invisible force clamp around his gun arm and his limb was wrenched to the side, pointing at Ironhide.

"Ironhide!" Prowl yelled.

A snap of Dreyas' fingers had Prowl unwillingly pulling the trigger and shooting Ironhide in the face. The red Autobot stumbled back from the blast and Prowl's arm was released from Dreyas' grasp.

"That was fun." Dreyas remarked.

"You bastard!" Bulkhead shouted and pointed his blaster at Dreyas.

Dreyas extended his magnetic field over to the large metal doors of the hangar behind him and tore them away, flinging them at Bulkhead. He shot one down and smacked the other door away, but Jazz yanked him aside to save him from a dangerous headshot from an out of control Prowl.

"Sorry, Bulk, but it just got a little more hazardous here." Jazz pointed to the other hangars.

Two dozen Codarl talos sporting dark green armor and equipped with energon powered laser blasters flooded out into the yard and opened fire on the Autobots. Dreyas just grinned and watched the show.

"Let's see what you're really made of Autobots…before I tear you all apart!" He roared.

XXXXXX

Unseen by the Autobots and OZ forces, another ground bridge appeared behind the hangar and three girls jumped out of the portal. Clad in her exosuit, Gina, along with Sara and Sureshock, covertly made their way behind the hangars as the battle raged on the other side. For once, Gina had no plans to interfere with the Autobots this time. She only had one job and one job only—kill Pisces.

"I think the main command center is located in the hangar near the center of the base. I doubt Pisces had the time to completely evacuate himself." Gina said.

Sureshock looked at her scanner. "Gina, I'm detecting energy pulsations from the hangar."

"That explains it." She said. "Come over to the side. We can sneak in through here."

Gina, Sara and Sureshock ran over to the side of the hangar, where there was a small window to the side. Using her distortion field, Gina transmuted a stone pillar under them to raise them up to the window. Sara broke it open and they jumped inside one after another. They landed on the floor, and after they made sure the coast was clear, Gina hopped onto the upper level and ran over to the railing. What she saw near the back of the hangar caught her by surprise.

"J-Jinkies!"

XXXXXX

The Autobots were pushed back slightly by the barrage of laser fire from the Codarls, but they fought back. Optimus led the charge, jumping straight into the enemy squad and started shooting them down with his ion rifle. Ironhide fired close behind him, blasting one unit's head off before taking out his war axe and slicing another talos in two.

Prowl and Jazz also shot at the enemy talos, but they quickly realized that these new models were faster than their predecessors.

"These upgraded models are no joke." Prowl said as he parried an attack from a Codarl and struck it down with his shock batons. "OZ has clearly improved their weaponry since our last encounter."

"But they still go down all the same." Jazz flipped over two Codarls and used his vibro-blade to swiftly behead them, effectively disabling them. He ran to attack another Codarl when a long metal spear made from tank armor flew right at him. "Scrap!"

Jazz moved his body so that the spear impaled his arm instead of his chest, but stumbled when a second spear stabbed into his right leg. Ironhide, who was right next to him, looked to where the spears came from and saw a smirking Dreyas.

"You bastard!" Ironhide growled and pointed his cannons at the Karaba leader.

"Ironhide, wait!" Optimus tried to stop him, but was too late.

Ironhide fired his laser blast and hit Dreyas directly. For a moment, he thought he actually got the man, but his victory was taken away when the smoke cleared and revealed Dreyas to be completely unharmed. An invisible barrier of magnetic energy surrounded him, having protected him from the blast.

"My turn." Dreyas held out a hand and sent a wave of magnetic energy shooting at Ironhide. It slammed into him with tremendous force and sent him flying into the side of another hangar. "You should know better than to fight a man who can harness the entire planet as his weapon!"

Dreyas clapped his hands together and two Codarls flew at Prowl. Prowl dodged the flying talos easy enough, but then the robots were dismantled piece by piece and were sent shooting at him again. The Autobot was attacked from behind and hundreds of sharp metal fragments dug into his metal body. Dreyas then snagged Jazz in his magnetic grip and flung him into Bulkhead, throwing both mechs to the ground.

"Too easy." Dreyas smirked. A shadow fell over him from behind and he calmly looked back to see Optimus swinging his battle axe down on him.

XXXXXX

The hangar had been outfitted by OZ to act as a field base; everything was retrofitted to be easy to move at a moment's notice, with computers and cables lying everywhere. There were two talos standing guard at the doors. Gina could see the scientists and soldiers rushing to pack everything up while the titans were battling outside, but her eyes were on the giant metal cube glowing with energy.

"What is that?" Sara asked.

"A proto-cube. It's what the Minicons used to create protoforms." Gina said. "The Exodus had four of them, but we only got three cubes from the wreckage in Azteca. Aries must have managed to steal one when we weren't looking."

"Those bastards." Sureshock growled. "As if they haven't don't enough damage to us with Dualor's help before this!"

Gina looked around the hangar before spotting a large energon tank connected to the generator that was connected to the cube. Focusing hard on the fuel tank, Gina generated an energy sphere that blew up the tank, igniting the energon inside and creating a huge explosion that took out the generator too. Anyone nearby scattered and ran. Gina hopped down onto the ground and ran towards the computer that was still working.

"Data? No, that's code…so that's what they're doing. They're pumping energy into the cube and translating the genetic code coming from it into data!" Gina exclaimed.

"Those bastards!" Sureshock spat. "This is how they've been able to create their advanced tech. by copying cybertronian genetic code as a blueprint!"

"It's part of the reason, yes, but it was only a small part in our rise to glory."

The girls looked up to see Pisces standing atop one of the catwalks with his adamantium staff in hand. For once, he wasn't wearing his usual smile and was openly glaring down at them.

"I don't say this often," Pisces said darkly. "But I'm going to enjoy killing you."

XXXXXX

Prime's glowing red battle axe slammed down onto Dreyas's magnetic barrier with enough force to knock the man out of the air and into the ground. It was thanks to that barrier that Dreyas avoided any serious injuries, though it still hurt.

"Don't underestimate us." Optimus growled and advanced on Dreyas, who glared back at him.

"Underestimate you? Watch your words, machine!" Dreyas raised his hand and Optimus froze as he exerted his magnetic hold over him.

Dreyas has perfect control over his powers, able to control electromagnetic fields with ease and manipulate all sorts of metals, ferrous and non-ferrous, as a result. But trying to hold Optimus in place was more difficult than he thought it would be.

'Is it because he's made of living metal?' Dreyas thought. His muscles tensed as he tried to hold Optimus in place, but it was starting to put some strain on him. "Damn it!"

Optimus felt like he had the entire planet's gravity pressing down on him. He could feel the magnetic forces pressing down on his body, gripping his armor and trying to take control. But still he fought as hard as he could through brute force.

"Prowl…" Optimus grunted out, wincing from the pain in his joints. "I need…an assist…"

Prowl, though wounded, was still in the fight. He got to his feet and jumped over to one of the bisected Codarls, throwing it at Dreyas. Dreyas saw the incoming projectile and waved his hand to rip it to pieces, but his lapse in concentration allowed Prime to break free of his hold.

"Filthy aliens!" Dreyas snarled and sent a piece of shrapnel at Optimus. The jagged piece of metal buried itself into Optimus's shoulder and Dreyas turned to Prowl, slamming him into the dirt with an immense magnetic wave. "Know your place!"

Optimus swung his axe into the ground near Dreyas, throwing dust and rocks into his face. The esper terrorist had the foresight to take hold of a metal armor plate to protect himself as Optimus's axe tore it apart and nearly caught him by surprise. Dreyas leapt back to gain some breathing room.

"I have to admit, Prime, you are a treat to fight." Dreyas grinned. "You're actually challenge!"

"This isn't a game!" Optimus shouted.

"What's wrong with having fun with your work?" Dreyas released a magnetic pulse toward the hangar behind him. "Now let's see how good a player you really are!"

He tore apart the roof and doors of the hangar and shaped them into two large metal blades. Dreyas shot at Prime and attacked him with a barrage of fast strikes. Optimus parried them all, but he could barely get to Dreyas. He hissed when Dreyas sliced Open his upper right arm and jumped back to avoid another strike from behind.

"So you do bleed!" Dreyas cackled. "And here I thought you cybertronians were unstoppable."

"We never portrayed ourselves as such" Optimus said.

"No, but your human friends have no problem bragging about how big and strong you are. Thinking that Karaba will think twice about attacking them." Dreyas growled. "But your aliens are no different from us. If you can bleed…then you can die!"

Optimus grabbed one of the blades and snapped it over his knee before charging at Dreyas. He swung his axe down on the esper, but Dreyas grabbed a new shield to defend himself—Jazz! Optimus was unable to divert his attack and watched horrified as his axe smoothly severed Jazz's right arm.

"No, Jazz!"

XXXXXX

"That cube has contributed greatly to our cause. By transferring energy to it, we'd get back pulsewaves carrying information—cybertronian genetic code—which we could translate and engineer for our use. Discovering energon with Thornment's help only made the process more efficient."

"Humanity isn't ready for that information, let alone OZ!" Gina yelled.

"Maybe not, but as Aries has made clear to you before," Pisces leapt at the girls. "We Zodiac are more than human!"

Sara jumped over Gina and brought out her energy blades, clashing with Pisces in the air. She kicked him to the ground and attacked him with a barrage of fast attacks that put him on the defensive. Pisces gritted his teeth as each slash pushed him back towards the wall, though his staff remained unscathed despite the assault. Eventually he had enough of her attacks and fought back.

"Don't underestimate me!" He roared and spun around, bringing his staff in a vertical arc that Sara dodged. But he used the staff to propel himself at her and kicked her in the chest.

As they fought, Gina and Sureshock went over to the Cube. As much as she wanted to kill Pisces, Gina knew that she couldn't allow OZ to abuse the Cube any longer.

"The Cube reacts to energy, specifically electricity, to cause a reaction." Sureshock said. "It's how we manipulate the cybermatter that composes the cube to create protoforms."

"Is it possible to overload it somehow?" Gina asked. "Because I doubt we'll be able to push thing out by hand."

Pisces ducked under a slash from Sara and caught her punch, throwing her over his head and into a truck. Sara kicked off the vehicle and lunged at Pisces, who knocked her blades aside but took a hard kick to his fae that sent him crashing into a table.

"I'm getting tired of you, girl!" Pisces growled and stood up, wiping blood from his lip. That was when he spotted Gina and Sureshock tampering with the Cube. "No!"

Pisces ran for the Cube, but Sara slammed into him. They struggled against each other as they rolled along the ground, but Sara managed to kick his staff away before pinning him to the ground.

"Stop! Think about what you're doing, girl!" He yelled to Gina. "The information that cube can provide could help mankind for generations to come!"

"And yet you people only see fit to use it to create weapons. It'll be better to destroy it before you can abuse it any longer!" Gina glared at Pisces. "Consider this payback for all the pain you've caused to me and my friends!"

"NOOOOO!"

Gina's eyes glowed and she created a distortion field that released a powerful energy wave upon the cube. Gina pumped huge amounts of energy into the cube, and it slowly started to glow—first white, then a burning red. Not even an object as mutable as the cube could take in this much energy so fast.

Pisces kicked Sara off him and stumbled back, watching in dismay as his precious cube began to rapidly heat up from the energy overload. 'She's overloading its energy capacity with her distortion halo. That thing will become a bomb in a few minutes because of her. Damn you, Gina Harkins!'

"I can't save it now." Pisces muttered in despair and called his base. "Teleport myself and all surviving personnel immediately. We're done here!"

Pisces felt his body breaking apart as the MASS device began to teleport him away from the battle. His hate filled eyes never left Gina until he was gone from the building.

"Gina, we need to leave the area before the cube reaches critical mass." Sureshock said. "The explosion will take out this entire base and the surrounding area for about a mile!"

"It's too late to run!" Gina said. "Follow me!"

XXXXXX

Dreyas tossed aside the one-armed Jazz, whom Optimus caught and gently laid him on the ground.

"Now I know how Bucket-head feels." Jazz quipped.

"Hang in there, Jazz." Optimus told his friend.

Dreyas advanced on the two mechs, but Bulkhead, Prowl and Ironhide ran in front of him, making him scoff.

"It's not surprising that those pitiful soldiers couldn't do a damn thing against you." The air around Dreyas simmered as he prepared for a massive attack, calling upon the ambient electromagnetic energy in the atmosphere itself. "No matter, I'm more than enough to handle all of you!"

Before he could attack, a violet portal appeared behind him and Fauntleroy and Magda jumped out.

"Sir, we need to leave!" Fauntleroy said.

"What?" Dreyas snarled. "I'm not running from these interlopers!"

"Dreyas, the warehouse is about to explode. Something's happening inside and we're in its blast radius!" Magda shouted.

"What?!" Prowl exclaimed.

Dreyas glared at the Autobots. "This isn't over, Autobots." He vowed and followed his wife back into the portal, which closed behind them.

"Did she just say that warehouse is gonna explode?" Bulkhead asked.

Optimus looked at the warehouse and saw a bright glow coming from inside. "Autobots, retreat!"

The Autobots transformed and sped away from the base, with Jazz hanging onto Ironhide's trunk as he was literally dragged through the dirt. They made it as far as the entrance when the hangar exploded in a massive fireball. The display was so destructive and powerful that the average Hollywood action movie buff would have gushed at the dazzling scene it was. Blue flames shot up into the air and a shockwave emanated from the blast zone, wiping out the other hangars and the runway. The Autobots were blown off their wheels and sent tumbling several feet from the powerful shockwave before they came to a stop.

"Whoa, that was nuts!" Jazz grunted.

"What was all that?" Bulkhead asked. "A bomb?"

"No, Dreyas looked just as surprised as we were. It couldn't have been him." prowl said. "I suppose this was Pisces's doing. Either they had a bomb or they were suffering from some kind of…technical difficulties."

"So what caused it?" Ironhide questioned.

"Um…that might be us."

The Autobots looked down and saw a hole forming near their feet. Energy crackled along its edges before fading, and from it crawled Gina, Sara and Sureshock, covered in dust and looking exhausted.

"Gina?" Optimus blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"It's…a long story." Gina said sheepishly.

Prowl crossed his arms. "We're listening."

XXXXXX

Scorpio waited at the MASS teleportation platform for Pisces. He heard from one of his associates that negotiations with Karaba had fallen apart, and he was waiting eagerly to get on Pisces's case about it.

The machine activate with its usual flare, and Pisces rematerialized on the platform with dozens of weary looking talos pilots, which was significantly less than what he was deployed with earlier that night. Scorpio noticed that Pisces looked absolutely livid and hid a smile. Once the machine powered down, Pisces pushed the doors open and marched down the stairs. He didn't even acknowledge Scorpio's presence.

"I take it our alliance with Karaba didn't go as planned?"

Pisces's answer was a swift punch to Scorpio's jaw that sent him sprawling along the floor. Scorpio's mind took a minute to register the pain, but when he did, it _hurt_.

"What the hell is your problem?" Scorpio yelled, holding a hand to his aching jaw.

"I'm going to kill those brats." Pisces snarled. His breathing was haggard and his eyes were wide with rage. "I'm going to tear them apart!"

Scorpio got to his feet. "Pisces, think about—"

"No! Those children have been given too much freedom to interfere with us! I'll kill all three of them with my bare hands." Pisces roared. "Starting with Gina Harkins!"

* * *

**Another fun chap to write. Not much else to add that hasn't already been said already. In the next chapter, the children get a taste of the growing divide ****between espers and humans while Pisces takes the fight to them...at their school! The next chapter will take some time to come considering I'm going to be ****updating my second mainstream story, Sofia the First: New Beginnings, with not one but TWO chapters! Feel free to check out the official Transformers ****Titan website on Wordpress, directions to the site on in my profile. Thanks for reading, stay safe, and please leave a review! **


	19. School's Out

Chapter 19-School's Out

Scorpio and Leo stood outside of Pisces's quarters trying to figure out how to bring the man back to his senses, or at least Scorpio was making an effort. Leo was just munching on an apple while enjoying the show.

"He's been stewing in his room for four days now." Scorpio said. "I've never seen him this distressed before."

"He had it coming to him, showing off that fucking cube lie it was a damn trophy. Did he really think he wasn't going to lose it after lugging it around in the open like that?" Leo laughed and spat at the door. "Arrogant prick. This little fuck-up is just what fish-head needed to humble the bastard."

"You don't even know how to spell humble, let alone know its meaning." Scorpio said. "And this is serious. Losing that cube is a serious blow to the organization. We've lost our main advantage over the cybertronians."

"We still have Thornment. She can give us the goods."

"At her own discretion. She gives us information only when she wants to. Hell, the Destruction team was more helpful in a week than she has in the past several months!" Scorpio said. "We were in the process of developing hover tanks and finally completing the BATS, but now we've been set back to square one thanks to two little girls!"

Leo finished his apple and tossed the core away. "What about Pisces? He gonna get off his ass and do something about it?"

The door flung open and Pisces walked out. His hair and clothes were groomed and clean, his glasses were polished and his expression was calmer than a summer breeze. But his eyes were sharper than glass, and betrayed the murderous intent in his thoughts.

"Rest assured, Leo, I do plan on doing something about it." Pisces calmly said. "As a matter of fact, I'm already formulating a plan for my retribution."

"Retribution? Pisces, Ophiuchus ordered us to leave the children alone!" Scorpio said.

"I could care less at this point. Those children have proven to be just as big a threat to OZ's plans as the Autobots. We cannot allow them to interfere with our mission again!" Pisces growled. "I'm sure Ophiuchus will understand in time."

"She'll understand that you disobeyed her direct orders. Pisces, you're not so invaluable that she won't kill you on the spot."

Pisces spun around and pointed an advanced looking gun at Scorpio's face. It was a prototype, custom-made blaster powered by energon, built with Thornment's help. It hadn't been field tested, but it was believed to be capable of blasting through composite armor as well as cause serious damage to inhuman flesh (he tested that last part himself on unruly troops).

"And you aren't so invaluable that I won't consider killing you." Pisces hissed. "Go ahead and stop me, Scorpio. This gun was designed to bring down inhumans. It'll make short work of you."

"Now, now, children, no need to fight." Leo grinned and stepped between them, pushing Pisces's gun down. "I'm sure we all can come to an understanding here."

"There's nothing to discuss. Pisces's pride is more important than keeping to OZ's mission!" Scorpio growled.

"Go ahead and report me, Scorpio, but you know I'm right. Those children must die, and it will be the perfect way to demoralize the Autobots." Pisces said. "You can see that too. It's not treason, it's common sense. Aries knew that, and now I'm neutralize this threat!"

"Fish-man ain't gonna stop, and you know it." Leo said. "Might as well join him."

Scorpio, still livid from having Pisces point a gun at his face, said nothing more. He simply pushed them aside and marched down the hallway. Leo watched him go with a smirk.

"Wuss." Leo laughed and looked at Pisces. "So you got a plan for your little revenge scheme?"

"Of course I do. However, I'm going to need your help…and that of your students. Someone needs to lure the Autobots away from their precious flesh dolls."

XXXXXX

Annie and Penny sat on the bleachers in gm class with the other girls in their class watching the teacher instruct the students in self-defense techniques.

The special guest today was Gina's mother, Julia, a martial arts instructor and former Army officer. At the school's request, she came to the school to teach the children some basic self-defense moves in response to the growing crime wave spreading across the country. It was just basic stuff, nothing too complicated. The boys and girls were separated into their own groups for one on one practice sessions. Annie and Penny were watching Gina absolutely wipe the floor with one of her bullies in their grade.

"Once upon a time Gina could barely throw a punch." Penny said, earning a hum from Annie. "And now she's cleaning house. Have you seen her arms lately? They feel like steel!"

"Benefits of being a superhuman." Annie said and flexed her robot arm, which was covered in her usual black glove. "Wish I could join. Gets kind of lonely sitting by myself."

Penny turned away from Annie to see another interesting sight that made her grin. "Hey, check out your bro's sparring partner."

Annie looked up and she also grinned. "Oh my."

Darren was sparring with Brianna and it looked like she was giving him a run for his money. Darren was no master martial artist, but training under Arcee and Jazz had made him a decent fighter in the long run. Fighting Brianna had completely turned that on his head as she showcased her fighting skills by throwing her partners into the floor repeatedly.

"Please go easy on me, Darren." Brianna teased him. It was done in jest, but he hardly felt confident after watching her early display.

They got into their practice stances and counted to three before moving at each other. Darren threw a punch at Brianna, but she grabbed his wrist and pulled him close. He blushed as their faces were inches apart for a second, before Brianna hooked her leg behind his and shattered his balance. She then pulled him close and threw him over her shoulder into the mat. Dazed, he was open to her submission hold, but instead Brianna just settled with mounting him and using her weight to pin him down.

"Damn." Annie whistled.

"That's match." Brianna grinned.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about being skilled. Not that I doubted you." Darren panted. He wiggled under her weight and huffed. "Um, could you get off me please? We still need to do this two more times."

"I think I quite like this position." She giggled. "If you want me off, you going to have to throw me off."

'Crap.' Darren thought nervously.

"I'd love it if you could get off my boyfriend, Brianna." A void said, sounding colder than a glacier. Brianna looked up and saw Gina walking over to them. "As in right now."

"A new challenger approaches!" Annie hollered. There were already a few students noticing the tense exchange between the girls.

Brianna got off of Darren and turned to Gina. "I wasn't expecting you to take part in the class, Gina. You don't seem like the type to know how to throw a punch."

"You don't live with a martial artist like my mother and not learn a few things." Gina said, crossing her arms. "After all, a girl's got to protect her turf, right?"

Darren took a step back from the girls as the air between them grew frosty. Getting a good look at them, he couldn't help but notice how similar they looked to one another. Their blond hair, matching eye color, their voice tones, even their…physiques. Another thing Darren also noticed was their shared interest in him (he did notice things like this from time to time).

'I really hope Gina restrains herself. I don't need my girlfriend breaking another girl's jaw for looking at me funny.' Darren thought.

Just as Gina and Brianna prepared to get started, their instructor blew his whistle, signaling everyone to stop.

"That will be all for today! Be sure to thank Ms. Harkins for her contribution to today's class. Great work everybody!"

Darren briefly heard Mandy complaining about a chipped fingernail before heading over to the girls, who still looked ready to fight.

"Uh, girls? Class is over. Shouldn't you be getting changed now?" He asked.

"Sure, Darren. We can always settle this on another day." Brianna smiled and went to the locker room.

Darren turned to Gina and sighed. "Gina, what's up with you? You two look ready to ripe each other's heads off."

"I'm just showing her it's not nice to annex another girl's boyfriend by mounting them." Gina said. "I'm not apologizing after seeing the look she was wearing."

"What look?"

"The 'I'm going to ride you like a stallion until we're both in a coma' look, Darren. She was seconds away from doing the bump and grind!"

Darren's face turned red and he cleared his throat. "Well, that's, um…y-yeah so you going to be here tomorrow? It's a half-day."

"Half-day? For what?"

"A special guest is having an assembly for the school. No clue who's coming, but judging from the growing number of HF goons slithering around the area, I think I can guess who's coming."

"Count me out. I'm heading back over to Cid-Alpha to check out those Saurian eggs. I want to know what exactly Pisces did to turn a five million year old egg into a fully grown inhuman." Gina said.

"That's a shame. I'm going to miss you." He pouted. Gina smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I'll catch you after the assembly." Gina said. "After today, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

XXXXXX

"I never pegged you for a MyPlace guy, Pisces."

Pisces didn't even spare Thornment a glance as he scrolled up on the webpage of the largest social media website in the world. One of his viruses was already hard at work in piercing the site's security odes to obtain confidential information. It wasn't hard work, but Thornment's unwelcome presence was breaking his concentration.

"It's not for me, Thornment. This is for my mission. These are children I'm hunting down. Social media is a primer way to know where they live and work at." Pisces said.

"You're putting way too much work into this." Thornment said. "You better stop now before your boss gets angry. That bitch is scary when you finally tick her off."

"Ophiuchus will understand. It's embarrassing that a couple of human tag-alongs are derailing so many of our operations. That girl cost us a valuable resource and I will not let it stand any longer." Pisces said.

Thornment shrugged. "It's your funeral."

Pisces hit a key and grinned as he saw the profile pictures of the three children. "No…it's theirs."

XXXXXX

As luck would have it, Gina's intuition was actually spot on. The next day the entire school had an assembly on the account of a special visitor coming over for the day—Melanie Crane, the head of the Human Front.

"Everyone settle down and find your seats. The assembly is going to begin." Said a teacher as the students of Heartsgrace made their way into the auditorium. "Mr. Crane wishes to speak with you all and I hope you have his full respect for this assembly."

'Some say assembly, others said brainwashing.' Thought Darren as he looked around, standing side by side with Annie, Kevin and Penny.

"Wow, people are really excited for this guy. That worries me more than seeing the man himself." Annie said. "Wonder what he's going to feed us today."

"Nothing good." Kevin muttered as he took his seat.

"I'm not looking forward to this." Darren sighed.

"On the contrary, I'm looking forward to this. I'm intrigued as to what made Crane crawl out of his hole to take his campaign to Osea's youth."

"Isn't he doing it in all major middle and high schools?" Annie asked.

"No, only the ones who have espers expose themselves." Said Brittany as she stepped into the isle, ignoring the stares sent her way by some student. As she took a seat, she ducked under a paper ball a boy two isles behind her threw out of her head. She picked it up and unfolded it to see a crude drawing of a spotted girl being cut to bloody ribbons. She winced by quickly schooled her features. "Childish, but what do you expect from these people?"

Annie took the paper, balled it up, and threw it back at the boy, hitting him right in his eye. Brittany smiled at her in thanks.

"Brittany, should you be here?" Darren asked.

"I thought about not going, but I'm not sitting this one out. I want a first-hand account of the man who's making ever esper's lives hell in this country." She said hotly and leaned back in her seat, slightly leaning on Annie for support.

"Everyone quiet down." Principal Davis said as he walked onto the stage. "As you know, espers are becoming a problem in our schools, in our neighborhoods, in our community. You may have heard of at least one case, but how many more are lurking out there? Espers are a quickly rising threat, and Mr. Melanie Crane will discuss what you should do if you encounter dangerous espers, as his associates pass around more information."

At that moment, an old man with graying black hair and dressed in a suit walked on stage.

"Thank you, Principal Davis. Thank you for your time, children of Osea. I'm Melanie Crane, and I'm here to defend your future as humans of Terra." The man smoothly said. As expected of someone in his position, his voice was the kind that made you think he was your friend, but to those who were paying attention, one could sense a phony quality to it. "As you know, there are a growing number of espers in our great nation, and the threat they pose to innocent people also rises with them. They may act innocent, but they can lash out at any time in any place without warning.

"My friends, I feel that humanity should stand together against the esper menace, to make sure we live in a happier, safer world" He continued passionately. "Where mothers can tuck their children in at night without worrying about some esper walking through their walls and snatching them up. Where everyone can safely walk the streets at night, knowing that they will remember exactly what they did the next morning without fear of a mind wiping. Espers play with our hearts and minds and would enslave us all if we humans allow it."

"Notice how he doesn't mention the Autobots." Darren whispered to his friends. "Even though his people have been ranting about them for six months."

"Almost everyone in this school is a fan of the Autobots. It wouldn't do any good for Crane to start bad mouthing them now." Kevin said.

"On the topic of those so-called heroes called the Neo Knights, they embody a disease threatening to uproot human values. We can no longer be proud because we are healthy, normal humans. We must be special, superior. Humans are strong, we are superior, and we have numbers. Are we going to let espers take us down? Allow them to show off to display their dominance?"

"The Neo Knights are heroes!" Annie yelled, earning a few hateful glares and jeers from the other students. "They're the ones protecting us from the bad guys, unlike you and your skinhead thugs!"

"It's very easy to get caught up in hero worship of the Neo Knights, young lady, but that is what they want." Continued Crane, not the least bit perturbed by Annie's outburst. "Do not be afraid to go against those more powerful. True strength will come. Those who have strength will not be bullied by any espers, thus the Human Front is a show of our strength, to strengthen the bonds between us. I see so much promise out there. Don't waste it. Don't let humans crush your hopes and dreams."

It was at that moment Penny decided to strike. "Mr. Crane, my name is Penelope Pincer, and as fascinating as I find your views, don't you think you are being a bit unfair with tarring espers with the same brush?" She began. "I mean, just because some espers might use their powers to harm humans, it's not right. I mean, we have Aztecans who get into the country illegally, but would it be fair to punish those who went through the proper channels for a few that didn't?"

"Now, young lady, you may have a valid point, but we're not dealing with any group, we're dealing with superpowered individuals who would destroy us in a blink of an eye." Crane said, confident in his ability to shrug off her comments.

"How do you know?" Penny said politely.

"Studies have been conducted. They said that espers are likely to misuse their powers because of a genetic imbalance." He replied.

"What studies?" Questioned Penny. "I mean, can anyone take a look at the data with these studies? Have they been collaborated with anyone else? Is this data that can easily be misread? Do the results support a well-reasoned hypothesis?"

"Such an inquisitive young girl. I do understand why someone would have questions for someone so young and not truly understanding how the world really works." Crane said with a smirk, with some snickers from his supporters. "But rest assure, my data is rather ironclad. The proof is there, espers are a menace."

"Insult me all you want, but what you're saying right now is pure hearsay, because no one's seen any studies." She pressed. "In fact, there have been studies that have been done and can be verified through reputable scientific journals that suggest esper powers might be the natural evolution of humanity, but it will take another few generations to be proven. Espers are what we may become or close enough to it in another hundred or so years. Anyone can look them up, they aren't very difficult to find. I even have a copy printed off in my locker if you want to take a look at it later."

'You go girl.' Kevin thought with a smile. 'World famous racist gets roasted by a middle school girl. I hope Darren's recording this.'

'Thank god I'm recording this.' Darren grinned, using a small marble-shaped camera (courtesy of Liftor and Gina) to record the interaction.

"These sources must be completely and utterly biased then, because anyone knows that espers are unnatural." Crane's voice cracked for the briefest moment. "As stimulating as this debate has been, we're getting off the subject. No matter what, we know that espers are a threat. All espers must be dealt with to keep them off our streets."

"Just one more question, Mr. Crane, if you'll enlighten me."

Crane's smile tightened. "Go ahead, Ms. Pincer."

"How far do you go when determining who should be punished for their abilities?" Penny asked. "Genetically speaking, there could be a child of two espers that would technically be an esper but exhibit no special changes."

"Now that is absurd," Crane quickly replied. "Obviously that person would be a human."

"But judging by your statement, they would still have esper blood in them and would be unbalanced." She replied. "Where do we draw the line? How many generations do we go back? The meta gene can remain dormant for your entire lives unless stimulated by certain conditions. Many of us could have an unactivated meta gene and not even know it. And that includes you, Mr. Crane, and everyone else in the HF. What would you do then if that were the case?"

The entire auditorium erupted in whispers, teachers and students speaking in hushed tones. Many were outraged at the thought of their family being tainted by espers but more than a few people looked thoughtful. Crane looked positively livid, but before he could formulate a response, a loud smash was heard and the side doors to the auditorium were blown right off their hinges.

Armed men and women in black body armor flooded into the room, pointing their weapons at everyone. Darren and Annie stood up in shock, but froze as they saw a familiar man walk into the auditorium.

"Oh god." Darren breathed. "It's Pisces!"

"What's OZ doing here?" Kevin hissed.

"OZ? Annie, what's going on?" Britanny asked, holding Annie's hand nervously.

"Trouble, Brit." Annie growled.

The Zodiac general walked onto the stage after his men pushed Crane and his people aside. Pisces looked down at the children and smiled.

"Attention to all present," His loud voice made everyone go silent as he spoke. "You are all under the care of me, Pisces, the man who holds all of your lives in my hands. Consider yourselves my hostages."

"How dare you!" Crane bellowed, pushing his way back on stage. Pisces waved his men to stand down. "Who are you to threaten these children here?"

"I am someone who is superior to you in every way, old man, so save your prattling for those gullible sheep you lead along." Pisces said.

Crane's face was red with anger. "You bastard. I am Melanie Crane, the man leading this nation's glorious war against—"

Pisces's arm shot up and leveled a gun to Crane's head before pulling the trigger. A gunshot echoed throughout the auditorium, and everyone went silent as Crane's skull exploded in a gory mess of blood and brain matter. Pisces hosted his gun and turned back to his audience.

"That will be your fate if you choose to be difficult." Pisces said with a cold smile. "Now let's have a pleasant afternoon, shall we?"

XXXXXX

Across Osea, there were three solar energy projects being doing as a joint human/Autobot collaboration. Two were almost done, but a third was still in the production phase. As a result, being in the middle of the state of Iona, it was the least guarded of the three. The perfect hunting ground for a lion.

"You guys are a fucking joke!" Leo cackled, ripping apart a Bushnell talos and throwing the halves aside. "This is your country's national defense? No wonder Karaba's bending you over!"

No one in their right mind would dare attack a military base filled with top of the line military talos. But Leo was never in his right mind, and he had OZ's brand new talos on his side—the Hoplites.

Hoplites were newly developed general purpose talos designed using the same palladium power source and Brahma operating system as the Throne series, but that was where the similarities ended. They were bright gold and red, but equipped with vibro-weapons capable of dealing tremendous amounts of damage to armored targets. There were a dozen of them he brought along, and the talos squadrons were unprepared for the ferocious and sudden assault.

'Best test run I've ever had!' Leo laughed. He ducked under a tank shell that flew over his head and rushed at the attack, his talos's high frequency claws shredding apart the Abrams tank with horrific ease. "Still, as much fun as this art is, it's still missing something…"

Leo pulled back on his joysticks and his Hoplite unit jumped back to avoid the large red and blue Autobot who almost landed on him. Optimus, Jazz, Bulkhead, Hound and Ironhide emerged from the ground bridge and pointed their weapons at Leo.

"OZ, power down your weapons and stand down." Optimus commanded. "You are under arrest."

"There's our guests of honor!" Leo grinned and contacted his squad. "All Hoplite units…go crazy on them!"

XXXXXX

Gina frowned at the holographic display of the top half of Civ-Alpha that she compiled from data gained from obsessively exploring the ancient city. Sara and Sureshock were resting at the relay station Wheeljack and Armorhide built for them as a little base to stay in while exploring the site.

"Is something wrong, Gina?" Sara asked.

"It's nothing new, Sara. For all the data we've gained from those ancient tests we translated, we still barely know about this place." Gina said.

"The data accumulated on these "saurians" is more than sufficient. We know that this was one of their last cities, and that they were at war with their creations." Sara said.

"And that those eggs were sound were possibly the offsprings of the same slave race that rebelled against them." Sureshock said.

"Yes, but what about the saurian themselves? Their culture, their science, the good stuff. Just learning about what they did and how they died out isn't good enough." Gina pouted. "Not to mention we know next to nothing about those Shadows."

"I think the less you know about them, the better, Gina." Sureshock said. "Those things really creep me out."

Sara froze as she heard someone calling on her comm-frequency and switched it on. It was High Wire and he had bad news to tell her. Gina and Sureshock noticed her silence and turned to her.

"Sara, what's wrong?" Gina asked.

"We must go back home." Sara said. "Your school has been attacked by OZ!"

XXXXXX

"_Optimus! Optimus do you read me?"_

Optimus dodged a slash from Leo's claws and kicked him away before blocking an attack from behind with his ion rifle and slicing off a Hoplite's legs. His team were fighting hard against the OZ talos and two gunships that were coming at them at full force.

"Sparkplug, I'm busy at the moment!" Optimus grunted. He deflected another one of Leo's attacks, but the Zodiac scored a hit into his side.

"Pay attention, Big Red! It's not fun if you're half-assing it!" Leo shouted.

"_Optimus, there's an emergency in Tranquility. An OZ division just took the children's school hostage. I think one of the Zodiac is leading them."_

"What?! How—"

"I said pay attention to him!" Leo leapt at Optimus and slashed at his face. Optimus grabbed the Hoplite's arm and threw the talos into the ground. Leo made his talos kick Prime in the chest to knock him back.

"The children…Sparkplug, have Arcee, Moonracer and Cliffjumper head to the school!" Optimus ordered. "Don't let OZ hurt anyone in that school, do you understand?"

"_Crystal!" _

Cutting the comm-link, Optimus turned to face Leo, drawing his axe. "The attacks on the solar plants are diversions."

"You're a smart fucker, aren't ya?" Leo grinned, raising his vibrating claws. "Not like you can do anything about it."

"What do you want with the children?" Optimus demanded. "Tell me!"

"Make me!"

Jazz had torn a Hoplite in half when he saw a bolt of energy burst from the ground next to him. He leapt back, but a laser beam hit him in the chest from the smoke and sent him to the ground. He rolled to his feet coughing in pain and looked up.

"Scrap," He growled. "Boss bot, we've got company!"

Optimus looked over at the dust cloud and saw the massive form of Scorpio's insectoid mecha crawling into view, its stinger pointed right at him.

"Damn." Prime scowled and prepared to fight. It was up to the reserve team now.

XXXXXX

Grindor snuck through the hallway of the school as quietly as possible. He took a peak outside and saw a team of talos stationed in key positions around the school.

"Never thought I'd have to sneak around like this." Grindor muttered. "I hope Annie will forgive me for trashing her locker."

"_Grindor, where are you?" _High Wire asked.

"I'm heading to the side entrance. The school is crawling with soldiers and…scrap!"

Grindor scrambled to run away as two soldiers rounded on him with assault rifles and opened fire. He sprinted around the corner with the men in pursuit.

"Slag, I've been had!" He yelled. "Guys, get in here and help me!"

The two soldiers chased after him, but as they ran passed the chemistry room, the door exploded outward. Sara burst out into the hallway and kicked the first man in the face before slamming him into the wall. She spun around and slashed the second man's rifle apart before kicking him in the throat and dropping like him a rock.

"Sara! Thank Primus you're here!" Grindor sighed.

It wasn't just Sara. Gina, High Wire and Sureshock were there too.

"You three form Centurion and go help the children. I'll handle the bastard running this OP." Gina said. The Minicons looked at her.

"Gina?" Sureshock said curiously.

"Let's just say I have a good idea who's bold enough to attack our school in broad daylight."

They heard a noise down the hall and saw more soldiers running around the corner. The Minicons quickly combined into Centurion and the gestalt charged into the soldiers at full force, with Gina and Sara heading the other way.

"It's time we finished this, Pisces." Gina growled. "I'm coming for you!"

XXXXXX

'Come on out, Gina. I know you won't abandon these people to die, let alone your friends.' Pisces thought, looking over the crowd of students and teachers. He had the bodies of Melanie Crane and his lap dogs removed earlier so that they didn't stink up the place. 'Killing that man was a great service to the world. People like him are a waste of precious oxygen.'

Pisces finally got the call he had been waiting for on his radio. "Sir, we've spotted the target. She's with a Minicon and an unknown girl heading your way."

"Take care of the Minicon and direct the girls to the gymnasium. I'll be right there." Pisces said and quickly went for the doors. "Finally, I'll get my revenge."

Darren saw Pisces leave the auditorium with a couple of soldiers, leaving some behind to guard the hostages. "He's leaving?"

"Gina and the Minicons must be inside. He's going to fight her personally." Penny said.

"So what do we do?" Annie asked. "Fight them?"

"It's two of us against six soldiers scattered throughout the auditorium. We can't take them on at the same time before someone gets hurt." Kevin said.

"You two don't seriously mean to fight these guys." Brittany whispered.

"We aren't. Not yet, at least." Darren said. "We wait for Centurion to come, then we'll take care of them."

XXXXXX

Gina and Sara ran through the halls towards the auditorium, where Centurion had split off to save their friends. Gina's first priority was making sure that Pisces didn't try anything with the rest of the school before she found him. At the very least she had to stall for the Autobots to come save them.

"_Gina Harkins," _Pisces's voice came over the school intercom. _"If you're hearing this, then you know why I'm paying your school a visit. Come meet me in the gym if you wish to settle things. Your…friend may come too. It won't make a difference at the end of the day anyway."_

"Arrogant bastard." Gina growled. "I'll rip his face off!"

"Gina, there is a good chance that we're heading into a trap." Sara said.

"I know, Sara, but I don't doubt Pisces wants us all to himself." Gina replied. "Just stay on your guard."

They made it to the gym, which was at the end of the first floor of the school. Gina took charge, smashing through the doors with a powerful kick and jumping onto the basketball court. The girls faced the only man in the room who stood in the center of the gym smiling at them.

"Hello, Gina," Pisces said. "Are you ready to die today?"

XXXXXX

Bullets bounced off Centurion's body as he charged down the hallway like a mad bull. The soldiers that weren't ruthlessly smacked down were smart enough to pull back before the gestalt tore through them as well. Centurion cared not for the bodies he left in his wake. All that mattered was saving the children.

"Stay out of my way!" He bellowed, punching a poor woman in the chest with enough force to crush her chest cavity even through her bulletproof vest.

"We're not slowing that thing down, sir!" One of the soldiers said to his commander. "He'll reach the hostages in no time!"

"Get the scramblers!" The squad leader yelled.

Designed to subdue Cybertronians, the soldiers were entirely confident in their ability to bring this gestalt down. As soon as Centurion rounded the corner, they fired the scramblers. Like little darts, they stuck to Centurion's armor and channeled strong electrical surges into his body, making him stagger. When Centurion kept going, they hit him with another volley, bringing him to his knees.

Seeing how effective these weapons were, Centurion tore a metal door off its hinges and used it as a shield before he kept going.

"Filthy robot!" The squad leader spat. "Get the heavy weapons! We'll blast it apart!"

Before his men could act on his orders, they heard gunshots behind them, followed by a loud roar coming from the auditorium.

"What was that?" He shouted.

The doors burst open and a large cheetah the size of a small pony leapt forth, clawing at the man's face. Before the other soldiers could react, the cheetah shifted into a humanoid form, a fur-covered girl no older than fourteen, who kicked and punched them too fast for them to defend against. The last man standing stumbled back to point his gun at her, but the broken door he was standing on flung up and slammed into his face with enough force to break his nose. He felt back unconscious at the feet of Darren and the others.

"And stay down." Darren ran out of the auditorium with Annie. "Nice work, Brit."

"Thanks." Brittany smiled, trying to cover her nudity. "Though I'm not too crazy about shedding my clothes every time I change."

"You'll figure something out." Annie said as she gave Brittany a long curtain to cover herself with. "You were awesome anyway."

With the danger passed, Centurion ran up to the twins and hugged them tightly. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine, big guy." Darren said. "But you need to get the others out of here."

"Already on it." Centurion turned to the gawking teachers and students standing by the doors. "What are you standing there for? Follow me outside!"

That was enough to get the adults and children moving. Centurion led the people down the hall to the nearest exit. Annie and Brittany were approached by a few students and teachers who thanked the spotted girl for her brave actions, prompting smiles from the two girls.

XXXXXX

"What the hell is your problem?" Gina yelled.

"You know what my problem is." Pisces said calmly, taking off his glasses. "It's you."

"Don't screw with me. I know OZ isn't into the business of holding entire schools hostage in the middle of the day for no reason. So why are you doing this?"

"To get rid of any threats to our organization. You children have been more trouble than was worth ever since Aries started playing his little war games with your friends." Pisces unclipped the large adamantium staff from his back and held it in one hand. "Aries, Aquarius, myself, we've all sacrificed so much, only to have one of you brats send it all crashing down. Well no more!"

"This is about the proto-cube. You're mad that I destroyed it!" Gina realized.

"Letting you children live long enough to make fools of us was an oversight that must be corrected." Pisces crouched low. "And it starts by killing you!"

Before Pisces could make his move, Sara was already flying at him with her energy blades deployed. Pisces spun his staff to block the thrust aimed at his head and kicked her into the floor. He back flipped away to dodged the exploding energy sphere that blasted apart the floor and took out an advanced looking gun.

Gina paid it no mind when he shot at her, raising her arm to block the bullets from hitting her face. But a sharp pain in her forearm made her hiss in pain and she looked at her arm to see blood leaking from wounds left behind from the bullets. Which was impossible, as an Inhuman's skin was dense enough to only be bruised by most small arms fire.

"What?" She gaped.

"As strong as Inhuman skin is, it's still vulnerable to heavy weapons fire." Pisces smirked. "Armor piercing rounds with diamond shells that are just durable enough to make you bleed. Imagine what a headshot can do to you."

Gina cursed. Pisces had discovered the same thing she did about Inhuman physiology. "Like I'm going to just stand still and let you shoot me!"

Sara attacked Pisces from behind, but her blade was diverted by his staff, which shot up to catch her in the chin. Gina charged at Pisces, but he grabbed Sara's arm and threw her into Gina, causing her distortion halo blast to misfire. Pisces spun around and swung the staff at her head, smashing it against her skull.

As durable as her skeleton was, the blow still dazed her long enough for Pisces to let loose several more diamond rounds into her shoulder. Sara tried to grab his gun but he avoided her reach and shot her in the arm. The bullet hit her elbow and nearly blew it off.

"Sara!" Gina pushed Sara aside and threw a punch at Pisces.

The Zodiac just barely managed to block her punch with his staff, but the force was enough to send him skidding back. Gina charged up another halo blast, but Pisces fired two rounds into her abdomen. This time, she really did feel the pain and cried out.

"I bet you thought you were invincible. Unbeatable." Pisces fired a shot into her leg, making her fall over. "But you aren't. Your body can only handle so much before it gives, and no one knows more about Inhuman biology than me!"

Sara fired her palm blaster into his side and rushed at him. She slammed her body into his and they both hit the ground struggling against one another. Sara tried to wrench the gun from his grasp, but Pisces held onto it. He scowled up at her hatefully.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, android." Pisces kicked her off and grabbed her arm, throwing her over his head to slam her into the floor. "I'll kill you soon enough!"

He punched her in the jaw before raising her body over his head and slamming her down on his knee. Her spine snapped with a sickening crack and he tossed her aside. Pisces raised a foot to stomp her into the floor but howled as his back erupted in plain. He tucked into a roll and retrieved his staff before facing Gina again.

"You're very eager to die, aren't you?" He sneered at her.

Gina slowly got to her feet, keeping her weight off her wounded leg before spitting at him. "Stronger people than you have tried to kill me and failed."

"Stronger?" Pisces spat the word out with no small amount of scorn. "You should know that strength isn't everything, girl!"

He charged at her and Gina shot halo blasts at him. He ran around the energy burst and threw his staff at her, catching her right in her wounded shoulder. She stumbled back when he got in close and snatched his staff out of the air and slammed it into her bloody leg and again across her back. Gina swung her fist at him, but Pisces dodged and swung his staff right at her face just as her eyes flared up with a distortion halo.

The moment his staff impacted her eyes, the energy went off prematurely, causing an explosion that blasted them apart. Pisces landed on his burnt back, while Gina landed on her side, screaming and clutching at her burnt eyes.

"That was…unexpected." Pisces coughed, standing up with a lamp. "But most fortunate for me."

He limped over to Gina and checked his gun. Three rounds left, meaning all three would go into her skull. He grabbed her by the hair and lifted her so they were at eye level.

"This is what happens to those who oppose OZ, pain and death awaits them. You could have grown up to be a remarkable woman. But unfortunately," Pisces pressed his gun to her head. "We all never have our destinies work out the way we want them to."

"Let her go!"

A girl's scream made him pause and Pisces looked over his shoulder to see a scrawny looking grown haired girl standing in the ruined doorway.

"Excuse me?" He asked, honestly shocked that this random girl was demanding something of him.

"Y-You heard me!" Justine stammered, unable to keep herself from trembling. "L-Let her go."

"…I don't have time to deal with you." Pisces raised his gun at her and pulled the trigger…but nothing came out. "Huh?"

Justine took a deep breath and flexed her senses outward, releasing a telekinetic pulsewave that shattered the gun and blasted Pisces back. He rolled across the floor before getting to his feet.

"An esper." He growled. "This was the wrong time to play, girl!"

Pisces charged at Justine, leaping over Gina and raising his staff to bash Justine's skull in. Though he was aware of Justine being an untrained esper, he misread the situation. Training with Darren had given Justine some measure of skill to her immense power, but they were still tied to her reactions. Having a terrorist come at her with a large staff with the intent to kill was a liable reason for her to panic, and so her powers lashed out.

In the next few seconds, many things happened. Pisces's staff was halted inches away from Justine's head, and then she released a powerful telekinetic wave directly into his body, breaking bones and rupturing organs, severely injuring him with the sheer concussive force of her attack.

His broken body flew back the entire length of the gym before he hit the wall with a meaty thud and fell to the floor. His consciousness fading, Pisces issued the recall signal for an emergency MASS evac. The signal was received and his body was quickly teleported away.

Breathing heavily from her adrenaline rush, Justine managed not to pass out and ran over to Gina, who was still lying on the floor bleeding.

"G-Gina! Gina, are you alright?" Justine saw that Gina's eyes were badly burnt and she had multiple gunshot wounds in her body. "Oh my god."

Something large burst through the doors, making Justine scream. It was Centurion. Seeing both Gina and Sara so severely wounded, he ran over to them.

"What happened?" He asked in his deep voice.

"T-There was this man. He was going to hurt Gina and I stopped him…please, you have to help her!"

"I will. Thank you for saving them." Centurion knelt down and gently picked Gina up.

"Y-You're welcome." Justine said, just realizing that she was being thanked by an Autobot.

She helped Centurion carry Sara to a safe location, where the Minicons can safely call for medical assistance.

XXXXXX

Optimus watched the news with a piercing gaze and a tense form. His large arms were crossed as he watched the people on the monitor evacuate frightened school children and his hands clenched into fists.

'They were so close to being killed…again!' He thought angrily.

As fast as OZ began their attack on the solar power plants, they disengaged once Pisces retreated from the school. Leo, who was a particularly vicious opponent, had left the battle begrudgingly, though not before causing significant damage to one of the power plants. Optimus wasted no time in sending the Autobots over to the school, where Centurion had rushed Gina and Sara to the medibay at the Ark.

"Prime." Walter Barnett walked up to Optimus, having just drove to the Ark via the ground bridge. "How are things?"

"Worrisome. It's not like OZ to attack anyone, let alone a school, so blatantly like this, though I suppose that they could no longer tolerate interference from the children." Optimus sighed. "What's the cover story?"

"Terrorist attack. Anti-government elements and all that. It's not too far from the truth given all the craziness that's happening." Barnett said. "It's a mess, Prime. Pisces had murdered the head of the Human Front and espers all over the country are having a laugh. My superiors aren't happy that the ringleader escaped either."

"Getting a handle on the Zodiac was never easy, colonel. I hope your superiors will understand that."

Barnett nodded and put his hands into his pockets. "How's Gina?"

"She suffered serious wounds, but she'll recover with enough time. Her Inhuman physiology makes her incredibly resilient." Optimus said. "Sara will recover to thanks to Liftor. But the ramifications of this attack trouble me the most."

"I know. I'm a father, so seeing that school being attacked like that puts me on edge." Barnett took a deep breath. "I really hope we catch that bastard, Optimus."

"We will, colonel. If there's one thing that I've learned as a Prime, it's that those who commit evil will always get what's coming to them in the end. No matter how long it takes."

XXXXXX

It took several days for Pisces to recover from his wounds. Had he not been blessed with his unique physiology like the other Zodiacs, he would have died at the hands of that wretched esper girl. OZ doctors, equipped with advanced medical technology, did their best to repair his fractured skeleton and performed surgery on his damaged organs that were still healing.

"You're in deep shit now, Pisces." Scorpio told him in the medical ward. "Ophiuchus wants your head. She just got done reprimanding Leo and sent him home with his tail between his legs."

"I'll…talk to her when my body has healed enough to…walk." Pisces rasped.

"No, you're taking a wheelchair and going to see her in an hour." Scorpio said, pointing to the mechanical wheelchair sitting beside his bed. "Ophiuchus wants you to either walk or roll to her, Pisces. Saying no is not an option."

Pisces took a deep breath and laid back down. "Fine. Is there anything else?"

"One last thing, we've got a call from your old friends, Gowthrain and Sherisha. Turns out they've been rather busy."

"Oh?"

"They've been hunting down the remaining Minicons in the country, but haven't found any stasis panels. But just recently, it appears that David Hollander of Skywatch has contacted them for their services in combating our alien visitors." Scorpio raised an eyebrow at Pisces. "They wanted to know if you're game."

Pisces smirked and closed his eyes. "Time to go back to the basics."

* * *

**Finally got this chapter out. Nothing much to say other than to expect a multi-part chapter coming up that will focus on a specific group of Minicons Armada fans might be familiar with. I'll be updating my Sofia story next before returning****to this one. Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on WordPress. Thanks for reading, stay safe, and please leave a review! **


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